Hidden Magic
by Hoshi Kawada
Summary: A new diplomat arrives on Atlantis, a diplomat who likes to keep her past a secret. Will the team be able to get her to open up, or will a new enemy thrust the diplomat's past into the open? ON EXTENDED HIATUS: see note on profile.
1. A New Beginning

**A/N: So I was trying to sleep the other night and this crazy plot bunny lodged itself in my head. I haven't been able to think about any other story since then. And to the **_**Nobody Likes an Eavesdropper **_**fans, I apologize for working on this before continuing that story. Yes- I have been writing for it, it's just taking forever to put my ideas together.**

**Anyways, this will be slightly AU; it takes place ten years after DH in the **_**Harry Potter**_** series, with some notable differences (so pay attention later on) and during Carter's reign in the **_**Stargate: Atlantis**_** series. I know, they don't really match up in the original timelines, but let's just pretend that they do :).**

**Disclaimer (so I don't have to do one every chapter): I own nothing recognizable; all of that is of the original works of their respective authors or playwrights. **

**As always, if you have any questions or comments, please review! And I love constructive criticism; it always helps my writing get better.**

Dr. Madeline Marshall walked into the Prime Minister's office, as she had done many times in the past ten years of her employment as a diplomat with her government. Today she would report on her discussions with the American president on the promotion of democracy across the world.

"Ah, Dr. Marshall, back from the States, I presume?" The Minister greeted as Dr. Marshall entered the room.

Madeline smiled kindly, shaking his hand. "Yes, and I'm glad to be back."

"Well, don't get too comfortable. Mr. Woolsey here has an interesting proposition for you, one that I would be very interested in, if you accepted." The Minister motioned towards a short, balding man with large glasses, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Marshall. I've heard great things." The American bureaucrat greeted.

Madeline warily shook his hand. "I'm sure. Although, I've never heard of you." She said bluntly.

The Prime Minister chuckled at Madeline's tactlesness. For a diplomat, she sure went straight to the point. That's what he liked about her, why he kept her around. Yes, Marshall was unique among politicians; honest, and headstrong to boot. One always knew what one's status was with her.

The only reaction Woolsey showed to Madeline's comment, however, was a slight widening of his eyes and a disdainful tone as he said, "That's because I work for a classified organization known as the International Oversight Agency, or IOA for short."

"And what exactly does this _IOA_ do?" Madeline asked suspiciously. Classified American agencies usually meant military work, or work related to military projects. Based on the organization's name, she guessed that they "oversaw" these projects. She wondered if her government participated in the "international" portion of the projects.

"Before we get started, you need to sign this." Woolsey handed her a nondisclosure agreement, which Madeline (much to his surprise) promptly signed and handed back to him. "Now that that's in order, let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Madeline nodded, and the Prime Minister looked eager for Woolsey to continue. "A device that is now known as the Stargate was found in Giza, Egypt in 1928…"

Two hours later, Madeline was not sure what she believed anymore. To think that her own government had participated in a program at such a scale as this for so long without informing the public was astounding; even more astonishing was the fact that they wanted her to be the head diplomat for the City of Atlantis, in the Pegasus Galaxy.

The Prime Minister awaited her response, smiling madly from the cushy chair he sat in. "Well, Madeline, what you think? Ready to go on a grand adventure for Queen and Country?"

_For Queen and Country_. Of course he would put it that way. No self-respecting Englishwoman would back out of anything if it was serving her Queen and Country. Madeline nodded appropriately. "Of course. When do we leave?"

"You will leave from this office in one week, when the _Deadalus_ arrives." Woolsey stood from his chair beside her. Shaking her hand, he said, "See you then." Madeline nodded, unable to speak for the first time in her life.

"Will that be all, sir?" She asked the Prime Minister. "Or do you want my report?"

The Prime Minister shook his head. "As long as it's on my desk before next week, you are free to go get your affairs in order."

Madeline left the office. Her mind worked on autopilot as she headed out of the building and passed the front gates onto the busy London street.

Still groggy thanks to the jet lag from the long flight home, Madeline decided to get coffee before returning to her apartment.

"Coffee, black" She ordered when the waitress arrived with the menu. The young teen just nodded and smiled slightly, recognizing Madeline as a regular.

The young diplomat just sat at her table outside the shop and stared across the bustling street corner to a shop that most Londoners couldn't see; a shop wedged in between the two stores flanking its sides. Madeline could often be found staring at the Leaky Cauldron, wondering what life was like in the hidden city of London, the city where witches and wizards practiced their craft. She wasn't worried that people headed to the Leaky Cauldron would recognize her; she had aged considerably and drastically altered her appearance since she last saw anyone from that life. While she was content with the life she held now, she missed the friends she left behind in the wizarding world when she left ten years ago. There was no use dwelling on the past, she decided, since it was never going to change. She knew that there had been no real choice, that she was forced to leave, but it didn't stop the regret from cropping up once in a while.

* * *

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard entered Elizabeth's office. _Wait_, he reminded himself,_ It's not Elizabeth's office anymore. It's Carter's office now_. He still was getting used to the fact that Elizabeth had died, that Carter was now in her chair, typing on her computer. It seemed wrong; not that he had anything against Carter, he just couldn't seem to come to terms with having a new commander.

"You rang?" He asked, leaning against the desk like he always did around Elizabeth.

Carter smiled and nodded. "I'll explain as soon as the rest of your team arrives. Shall we?" She motioned to the door as she stood, and he followed her to the briefing room.

Once Teyla, Ronon, and McKay had joined them, Carter explained why she had called them together. "I received word from the _Deadalus_. It appears that the IOA have decided that we need a new diplomat, now that Elizabeth is no longer with us." She stopped as the team's jaws collectively dropped.

"Permission to speak freely?" Sheppard asked.

Carter sighed. She was afraid of this. "Granted". She said warily.

"Why didn't you tell them to go screw themselves?" He questioned, fuming. "We've done fine so far, and we have Teyla anyways – she's a better diplomat for this galaxy than anything we can get back home."

"I didn't know she was coming until the _Deadalus_ was already en route." Carter explained, holding her hands up in surrender. "Trust me; I would have fought it tooth and nail had I known."

"Those bastards." Sheppard muttered, earning slight smiles from his team. "They're learning."

"Why are you telling us this?" Ronon asked Carter.

"Well, we also know that Ladon was overthrown recently in another Genii coup. I was thinking that you could take the new diplomat out to the Genii homeworld to see if she can smooth out relations with the Genii. I instructed the _Deadalus_ to have her start reading up on the Genii culture, to prepare for her first mission."

Sheppard grimaced. He really didn't want to have anything to do with the Genii, but he knew that they would prove a valuable ally if they could work with the Lanteans. He looked around at his team; Ronon was as unreadable as ever, Rodney looked bored, and Teyla seemed concerned. He searched Teyla's face. "What do you think?" He asked Teyla.

The Athosian shrugged. "It could work. The Genii have not yet met this new diplomat, so she may be able to help." Teyla thought a second longer. "Then again, the Genii do not accept strangers easily. I suppose it will depend on both the new diplomat and the new Genii leader."

Sheppard nodded. "When does our new arrival get here?" He asked.

"The _Deadalus_ is two days out. I've already arranged a meeting with the Genii leader a week after that." Carter finished. "Get her acquainted with Atlantis. And don't be too hard on her- she has big shoes to fill, after all, and she probably doesn't even realize who recruited her to the program." She instructed the team.

"Yes ma'am" Sheppard said grudgingly. Though he had nothing against welcoming a new team member, he hated the idea of another replacement for Elizabeth.

* * *

"Dr. Marshall, you're requested on the bridge." An airman appeared at the door to Madeline's quarters. By her estimations, the _Deadalus_ was close to their destination and her new home.

"Thank you, airman." She responded to the young cadet. She knew her way around the ship by now; two weeks of flying time left her with a severe case of boredom, which sent her wandering around everywhere from the bowels of the engine room to the flight deck housing the high-tech fighter planes used in space battles. She now considered herself an expert on the Genii and their culture, since she was going on a diplomatic mission to their homeworld two days after her arrival.

The airlift's doors finally slid open to reveal the _Deadalus_'s bridge. She came up behind Caldwell, who sat in the command chair at the center of the room. "Are we there yet?" She asked.

Caldwell looked behind him. "Ah, Dr. Marshall. Yeah we're coming up on Lantea now." He turned to one of his officers. "Patch us through."

"Yes sir." The young man said, punching a couple of buttons.

"Atlantis this is the _Deadalus_, requesting permission to beam a passenger to the surface." Caldwell said, smiling at the surprised look on Dr. Marshall's face.

"_Welcome back, Colonel Caldwell. If the passenger is our new diplomat, please beam her down to the control room."_

"Thank you, Colonel Carter." Caldwell replied. "I'll send her right down."

A brilliant flash of light enveloped Madeline and all of a sudden she was no longer on the bridge of the _Deadalus_. Instead, she was on the first floor of an enormous room, looking up at a balcony accessible by stairways arching down on either side of the room.

A blonde woman approached her, and shook her hand warmly with a kind smile. "Welcome to Atlantis. I am Colonel Samantha Carter, the leader of the Atlantis Expedition."

Madeline smiled back. "Thank you. I am Dr. Madeline Marshall."

"A Brit, huh?" A black haired man with a crooked grin asked as he walked up to Madeline. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, US Air Force, military commander." He introduced himself. Sheppard looked her over. Marshall wasn't that bad looking- the woman wore the simple jumpsuit most civilians on Atlantis wore, with her raven hair tied neatly into a pony tail. She didn't seem that old, either, which surprised him. It was rare to find a diplomat as young as she was.

Madeline nodded, taken by his friendliness. She noticed three other people coming up slowly behind him. Sheppard turned as he followed her gaze. "There you are. You're late." He accused the newcomers.

"No, the _Deadalus_ came in ahead of schedule, John." The tall woman corrected. She grinned at Madeline. "You must be our new diplomat. I am Teyla, leader of the Athosians. This is Dr. Rodney McKay and Ronon." She motioned to the two men standing beside her as she spoke.

"It is very nice to meet you all. I am Dr. Madeline Marshall." Madeline introduced herself.

"Well, Maddie, what would you like to do first? Tour the city? Get settled in your quarters? Grab something to eat? It's close to dinner time, after all." John asked, obviously flirting with her.

Madeline's eyes flashed briefly. "I prefer Madeline, thank you." She easily headed off the flirtatious Air Force Colonel before he could really get going.

McKay snorted. _Nice try, Kirk_, he thought. "Since you obviously have the welcome thing handled, I do have some rather important work that would suffer if left under Zelenka's care for too long." He looked at Madeline. "It was nice to meet you, Dr. Marshall." He turned, heading for a door across the room from them.

Sheppard noticed Madeline's frown. "Oh, don't worry about him. He'll come around soon enough. He's not as uncaring as he'd like everyone to think." Teyla grinned broadly, remembering some inside joke. Ronon's mouth twitched briefly.

Madeline nodded. "Sounds like an old friend of mine: pompous, arrogant arse on the outside; kind, caring friend on the inside."

"Sounds about right." Ronon agreed, speaking for the first time. "At least the 'pompous, arrogant arse' part." He grinned as Madeline laughed at his fake accent. It felt good to laugh - she hadn't laughed in a long time.

**A/N: So? What do you think so far? Oh, I know there's not much to go on in this chapter, but wait a couple more chapters and it'll become clearer.**


	2. Making Friends

**A/N: Yay! Short wait between updates, for once. Hah, that's because I already had this chapter written when I posted the first :) figured it'd be best to do that, considering this isn't technically a true crossover yet.**

**Ok, so I got a couple of questions in the reviews. First, Madeline is female, as is her counterpart in the Harry Potter universe – so no female!Harry. I think I'll discuss the pairings at the end of next chapter, since they'll kind of give away some of the story, but I can say that there won't be any slash or femme slash in this story nor any of my other stories. Why? Read my profile. I explain everything there. **

**Enjoy, and please, please review!**

"You ready?" John asked, standing in front of the door to Madeline's quarters. They were supposed to meet the team for dinner in ten minutes, but John knew the dinner crowd well enough to know that by that time it would be nearly impossible to find a big enough table to fit everyone. It took about two minutes to get to the mess, and it would probably take another three to get dinner. Five minutes made a huge difference in the rush for tables and food around Atlantis.

"Almost." Madeline called from inside her room. The door opened ten seconds later to let John in. The pilot was impressed. Madeline had taken no more than twenty minutes to fully move in to her room.

Madeline's bed was placed in the center of her quarters. Her computer sat on a desk pressed against the left wall, a standard steel dresser stretched across the right wall, and books were stacked neatly alongside the front wall. Posters of various English tourist destinations decorated the bare sections of her walls. "Love what you've done to the place." John commented.

Madeline grinned sheepishly. "This is almost exactly what my apartment looks like back home." She figured if she was going to live in another galaxy, she needed a space of her own.

"Why all the books?" he asked. The only book he brought when he first came to Atlantis was _War and Peace_; he didn't really have any time for reading. Madeline had everything from _Stranger in a Strange Land_ to Machiavelli's _The Prince_. Her collection, around forty books by his estimation, ranged from poetry to philosophy to "how to" books.

"I always come prepared." Madeline answered briskly. "I'll probably finish all of these by the end of the month."

John laughed. "I wouldn't count on that. This week you'll have the most amount of free time, unless the Wraith come over to play. The Genii will keep you pretty busy afterwards."

"Good. I'd rather be busy than have to resort to reading these for the thousandth time." Madeline admitted. She went back to folding her clothing, which was spread across her bed, sorted neatly into pants, shorts, shirts, and so on. John could tell that Madeline liked to be meticulously organized. He hoped the habit would rub off on Rodney.

John glanced at his watch. Three minutes had passed since he walked in. Before he could urge Madeline to go faster, the diplomat proclaimed, "that'll do for now." The two left her room and headed down to the mess hall.

* * *

Almost every table was taken by the time they got their dinner. Luckily, Ronon, Teyla and Rodney had saved them seats at a table in a secluded corner.

"Zelenka should have come to me before…" John tuned out the rest of Rodney's sentence, as he had learned to do long before. He grabbed the seat at the end of the table, sitting Madeline to his right, across from Teyla. Next to her sat Ronon, across from him sat Rodney. He looked around the table before returning his gaze to Madeline. "How do you like Atlantis so far, Dr. Marshall?" He asked with his flashiest crooked grin.

Madeline swallowed her food before answering. "The city is incredible. I've never seen anything like it before. To think of the mysteries just waiting to be unlocked…" Her voice trailed off, as her memories carried her to another place that had held such mysteries, one that she had seen many years ago. The memory of that night was not a happy one, not one that she could discuss with her coworkers even if she wanted to. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and stabbed her food with her fork to take another bite. "Not bad," She said once she had swallowed her food. "It's nothing like the food back… home." She finished lamely, catching herself before she said "Hogwarts". That would have been disastrous.

By now the table had fallen into an awkward silence. Even Rodney had stopped babbling about Zelenka's shortcomings. They all could tell that she was hiding something, but what it was no one could fathom. Ronon, Teyla, and John could see the haunts of war and death dancing in her eyes – haunts the three had contended with themselves before finding a home in Atlantis. What had this woman been through, that closed her off from everyone else? John wondered, hoping that someday she would be willing to trust them enough to tell them about her past. He knew, though, that it was folly to push the truth out of her - that would just alienate her from the group even more.

Madeline was wondering why her past was escaping her in the first place. Ten years she had successfully hidden her past, hidden the gaping hole that still ached in her chest. Now, it seemed that it would spill out at any moment. What was it about these people that made her feel comfortable enough to talk about the Wizarding World? Perhaps it was John's tousled black hair and obvious hero complex, or Rodney's consistent babbling and complaining, event through a full mouth. Both reminded her of her best friends; one long dead, the other's life unknown to her anymore. Perhaps it was Teyla's obvious concern for her teammate's well beings, or Ronon's stoic, fatherly protection over the assembled group. Whatever it was, she didn't like it. If she told these people what she really was, her enemies would find her, and kill her like they did to… she still couldn't think his name, after all of these years; she still hadn't accepted that he was gone.

She passed the rest of the meal without talking to her coworkers, who glanced her way from time to time as they bantered and ate. As soon as her meal was finished, she excused her self, clearing her tray as she left.

Walking back to her quarters, she wondered if she was now far enough away from England to safely reveal her past, without worrying about her life. But then she remembered that these people were mostly military, and thus would report her story to their superiors, who would then tell _their_ superiors, and completely expose the existence of the wizarding world. While it may not hurt her, it most definitely would cause a mess of paperwork and heartache for countless people. Madeline decided it wasn't worth the trouble.

* * *

"Should someone go after her?" Rodney asked after Madeline had left the table.

John shook his head. "She'll tell one of us when she's ready."

"Tell us what?" Rodney inquired. He knew something was up, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Teyla looked at Rodney like he was a five year old. "Dr. Marshall has seen horrors in her life that she hasn't gotten past yet."

John and Ronon nodded. That much was obvious to everyone. Well, almost everyone.

"So what do we do?" Rodney asked. John sighed, clenching his fists under the table to keep his temper. Rodney had absolutely no people skills. Most of the time it wasn't that much of an issue. This time, however, it could hurt Madeline if he didn't keep his mouth shut.

Luckily Teyla was more patient. "We earn her trust. And we wait. As John said before, she will tell us when she is ready."

Rodney looked incredulous. "We aren't going to do anything? But she's hiding something! What if it affects us?"

"Rodney, we are NOT going to do ANYTHING until she is ready to talk." John's patence had finally snapped. "Madeline is NOT a prisoner to interrogate: she's a member of our team. Treat her that way!"

Rodney wasn't satisfied, but he could tell that John, Teyla, and Ronon weren't going to discuss the issue further. "Alright, alright. But if it becomes a problem I'm going straight to Carter."

John rolled his eyes. Teyla rubbed her temples. Ronon looked at Rodney like he was about ready to kill the scientist.

* * *

Harry Potter looked around the living room at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, now painted over in Gryffindor red and gold. Plush, scarlet couches replaced the old morbid green, and a fire danced merrily in the once cobwebbed fireplace. He and Ginny spent the first five years of their marriage redecorating – reclaiming, in all reality – the old and noble House of Black. The only things that remained from the house's old regime were the family tree in the drawing room and Mrs. Black's portrait in the entry way. Harry hadn't the heart to take down the family tree, and since he couldn't find a way to take Mrs. Black off the wall, they covered her portrait with a thick Gryffindor banner, complete with a strong silencing charm to muffle her horrified screams. Teddy, now ten, had great fun with his cousins teasing Mrs. Black, from whom they could hear faint screeches of "blood traitors". Their young charge was off visiting Grandma and Grandpa Weasley, Uncle Fred, and Uncle George at the Burrow, where he was no doubt getting into all sorts of mischief. Harry was sure that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were pleased Teddy was too young to have a wand quite yet. He was grateful for their help, though; he and Ginny needed to be alone today.

Today was the day a new portrait would be added to the memorial the Potters kept above the fireplace. Today, on the thirteenth anniversary of his death, Sirius Black would finally be honored in his home. Last night, he and Ginny had moved the portraits of those lost in the war to make room for Sirius's portrait. His parents, Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Dumbledore, Dobby, and Snape had small portraits encircling the two – soon to be three- in the middle. Hermione's unmoving painting hung on the right; Ron's hyperactive painting hung on the left. His heart gave the familiar twang of loss- portraits only moved after their real-life counterpart's heart stopped beating. Four months after the war, a rogue Death Eater killed Ron when he and Hermione were on their morning walk. Hermione, heartbroken, had left the wizarding world, telling friends and family that she feared an attempt on her own life.

Harry knew that that wasn't the real reason. The night before, Ron had finally worked up the courage to propose to her. They would have been married on the same day as he and Ginny were. Harry suspected that the "attempt on her own life" was just a convenient excuse for Hermione to run off and hide from her grief.

Ginny walked up behind him and clutched his hand, balancing the new portrait on her thigh. It was still veiled. She moved it over to the fireplace, leaning it against the mantle. She placed her hand over the veil. "Ready?" She asked. They both knew what that really meant- was Harry ready to move on? Harry hesitated before nodding once. It was time.

As the veil unfurled and revealed the portrait, Harry felt his heart stop beating and his stomach jump to his throat. There sat Sirius Black, unmoving and unblinking.

**A/N: HE LIVES!!!!!!!! I guess Sirius is now "The Black Who Lived", huh? **

**To head off questions about this, yes Fred is alive in this fanfiction, and Ron is dead. Sorry, but I couldn't think of any other way to get the story to work. You'll find out why later on if you haven't already picked up on the clues. It should be pretty easy to guess who Madeline is now. If I were you, I wouldn't comment on her true identity in a review. It'd probably ruin the story for some of the slow people :) kudos to whoever gets it, though.**

**I think I did the math right on the timeline. I'm trying to set this ten years after DH, so that would put the OotP three years earlier. **


	3. Early Birds Get the Worm

**A/N: An exciting chapter, this one. It was fun and challenging to write at the same time. Finally, the two worlds merge into one and we get a full crossover! Yay!**

**And like I said at the first chapter, this is AU!!!! So don't get mad at me for changing things around a little ;)**

_Bleep! Bleep!_ Madeline groaned as a noise interrupted her sleep. Coming to her senses, she realized the noise was coming from the headset on her desk. John had given her a radio before turning in last night.

She waddled down to her desk, groggily rubbing her eyes. She slid the headset on. "Why in Merlin's name are you waking me up at this hour?" She asked without thinking.

"_Merlin?"_ John's voice questioned over the radio. She winced as she spoke. _Oops_. She thought.

"It was a university thing that I never shook off." Madeline explained hastily. "Merlin was our mascot." She sighed as if she was bored with the conversation. "So what's going on?" She asked again.

"_You're as bad as Rodney in the morning." _Johncommented_. "Carter wants us in the briefing room. Apparently Major Lorne's team has some interesting perspective allies for us."_ He answered before she could bite his head off for wasting her time.

"At three in the morning?" Madeline asked incredulously, glancing at the clock.

"_Different time zone on their planet_." John explained. _"It's three in the afternoon over there."_ He knocked on her door. She shrugged on her uniform before letting him in. "You ready?" He asked. She nodded, and they headed to the briefing room.

* * *

The rest of the team was already assembled by the time they arrived. Madeline and John sat in the remaining seats at the far left of the table. "So what's going on?" Madeline asked, eager to get back to bed.

"Major Lorne brings news of a group that's fighting the Wraith." Carter answered.

"Not just any group," A brown haired man cut in. Madeline guessed this was Lorne.

"How so?" Rodney questioned.

Lorne grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. Years of training told Madeline he wasn't sure he wanted to explain. Sheppard nodded towards him supportively. " I don't know where to begin," he finally admitted.

Carter smiled understandably. "Just tell them what you told me."

Lorne nodded. "As most of you know, my team and I have spent the last day on P3X-828, known to the locals as Lorena. And in my life, I have not had a more bizarre day." That was saying something, especially after working at Atlantis for so long.

He looked directly at McKay. "What I am about to say will sound crazy, but I swear by God that it's the truth." He paused, planning his next sentence.

"The people of Lorena call themselves witches and wizards. They wear black cloaks, carry magic wands, and concoct potions in cauldrons." He stopped and glanced around, waiting for-

"Impossible." Rodney stated, ending the awkward silence. "Magic cannot exist within the laws of physics."

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Dr. McKay. I've read enough of your mission reports to know you lot stretch the 'laws of physics' every day around here." She smiled at Lorne, not sure why she was supporting him when these people could very easily expose her past. "You said these people want to help?"

Lorne nodded. "Madeline, right? Yeah, they really do. They can do some powerful stuff, from what I've seen, too."

"Like?" Ronon asked skeptically.

"We watched a few matches of their school's Dueling Club. One girl literally petrified her opponent, who didn't move until he was released from the spell. Another kid cast a 'hex' that made his opponent spit up slugs for the next hour." He looked around, satisfied upon seeing thoroughly impressed expressions. "If that's what the kids can do, imagine what the trained professionals can do." The others nodded.

_You have no idea_, Madeline thought. Though she was surprised to discover that these wizards used spells she had seen on Earth, she had expected the possibility of meeting wizards in other galaxies, especially this one. After all, the Ancients were the first wizards on Earth, as far as she could tell - names like Merlin and Morgan Le Fay were well known and well respected throughout the wizarding realm back home. She had thought, however, that magic – like people – would change if it originated on another planet. Obviously she was wrong.

"But how is any of this possible?" Rodney asked in disbelief.

"You can find out when you leave." Carter responded, cutting him off before they digressed too much. Though she was just as skeptical, she knew they needed strong allies. She also knew Lorne well enough to know that he wouldn't make something like this up. "Your team will join s team in an hour to escort Madeline to the planet, who will negotiate a treaty with the Lorenian leader." She turned to Madeline. "Are you ready for this?"

Madeline grinned. "I was born ready, ma'am." It was the truth. As a witch, she could relate to the Lorenians better than anyone else on Atlantis.

"Teyla, have you heard of anybody like these people before?" John asked.

Teyla shook her head. "Only in children's stories."

John looked at Ronon, who shrugged. "There were some warrior's tales back home, but they always seemed like ghost stories to me. Guess there's some truth to them after all."

Rodney laughed. "You don't honestly believe this, do you? Magic does _not_ exist!"

Lorne stared at him hard. "Are you calling me a liar, Dr. McKay?" His voice shook and his face was red with anger.

Rodney sighed. "No, of course not. All I'm saying is that there has to be some sort of technology in play here." Sheppard and Carter groaned.

Lorne shook his head. "I don't think so, Rodney. You'll see for yourself what I mean soon enough." He got up and left the room, slightly appeased but still angry.

John gave Rodney a glare before leaving himself.

"What'd I do?" The scientist asked.

"Honestly, Ronald, think before using your mouth." Madeline exclaimed before dashing out of the room. Who was Ronald? One thing was certain to those in the room: Madeline Marshall was hiding something in her past – something that she hadn't stopped caring about.

Ronon decided he would ask her about it, whatever it was. He had a feeling that their pasts were quite similar. "I'll go after her." He declared, standing. The others nodded. He followed Madeline out of the room.

* * *

Madeline didn't stop running until she reached the balcony at the end of the hall her quarters were on. She slunk to the balcony floor with tears streaming down her face, peering at the scene before her. Atlantis was almost as beautiful as Hogwarts, she noted. A new wave of grief shook her body. How could she be so thick? She had just revealed a part of her pas – her wizarding past – to a room full of muggles. She knew they'd want to know who… he was. She'd have to talk about it, something she wasn't sure she could do.

A shadow sent her dread into overdrive. Madeline groaned. The shadow moved forward and its creator slid to the floor beside her. Ronon put his arm around her shoulders. "Do you know what happened before I left Sateda?" He asked, thinking that perhaps opening his past to her would build more trust between them. The diplomat shook her head. "The Wraith attacked my planet. I tried to convince the woman I loved to leave with the refugees. Of course, as a doctor, she wouldn't leave her patients behind. \: He paused, and Madeline looked up. "She died, along with everyone else who stayed."

Madeline searched his face, wondering why he was telling her this. Then it clicked. He had guessed – and rightly so – that Madeline's past was similar to his own. She sighed. His grip was strong and comforting, supportive in every way. It wouldn't hurt to tell him an altered version of R… Ron's death, she decided. As long as she left out the magic part, she could tell him about how he died…

"Ronald Weasley was my best friend all the way through school. Four months after we graduated, he finally worked up the courage to propose to me." She paused, just as Ronon had. "The next morning, he was killed by a… gang. I haven't seen or heard from any of my old friends since then."

Ronon hugged her hard. "Why did they kill him?"

Madeline shook her head, trying to come up with a valid story without going into detail about the war. "Probably because we helped the police capture some of their members." It was true enough. After the war, she, Ron, and Harry had spent most of their time rounding up rogue Death Eaters with the Aurors.

Ronon nodded. "How long ago was this?"

Madeline's vice cracked. "Ten years. I left when I was seventeen."

Ronon realized that she was now the youngest member of the expedition team at 27. He admired her bravery – it had been hard leaving everything behind as an adult. As a teen… the pain would have been unbearable. He thought leaving under her circumstances was rather foolish, though. "Why did you leave?"

Madeline thought for a minute. "I was scared." She finally admitted, shameful of her cowardice. "I knew that the gang would go after me next. That wasn't all though." She conceded. "I couldn't bear being around my friends – they all reminded me of him. My parents… well, they died a few months before." For all intensive purposes, that was true as well. "All the deaths, the constant…." Her voice trailed off. She was getting so close to telling him everything, so close to revealing her true identity.

She looked up at him, pleading, "Don't ask me about my past anymore. I can't…"

Ronon nodded. "I'm here when you're ready."

Madeline shook her head. "It's not just that… most of it's classified. I shouldn't even have told you as much as I have."

Ronon sighed. He understood better than she knew. As a soldier, the Satedan had gone on classified missions that went horribly. Those close to him were always concerned, but eh could never talk about what had happened. He looked at Madeline – so young, so fragile. He handled the terrors of war well, but her? She, he could easily tell, had depended on others to help her cope. Without that help, she couldn't move on. He was sure she had been involved with some kind of war. The signs were all there, the pain and suffering etched clearly on her face. "Do the laws still apply, after all these years?"

Madeline nodded. She was certain the Statue of Secrecy was still in place.

Ronon rested his chin on her head. "When they're lifted, and you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Thank you," She whispered, smiling. Though she knew the Statue of Secrecy would never be rescinded, she appreciated his support.

"_Dr. Marshall, if you and Ronon will join us in the control room, we'll be on our way."_ Lorne's voice interrupted over her radio.

"Right, we'll join you shortly." Madeline answered. "We're leaving." She explained. Ronon let go of her and got up. The two went back into the hallway, silently walking to the control room and their next adventure.

**A/N: Next stop, Lorena!**


	4. A Stranger in the Woods

**A/N: YAY! A new chapter! It's decent length, too. I'm going to be doing a lot of travelling for various things, so I'll be pretty busy. I'll write as much as I can while I'm gone and I'll update the next chance I get, which will probably be in about two weeks if I don't post another chapter this weekend.**

**Enjoy, and please review!**

^^^^_Thirteen years ago, on the planet Lorena_^^^^

The man woke up slowly to birds chirping in the trees. He sat up as his consciousness returned.

He didn't remember being in a forest like this one before he fell asleep. Actually, he didn't remember much of anything before he fell asleep. He had no idea who he was or where he was from.

_What am I like? _He asked himself. He hoped he was a good person, the type of person people would want to be around. He hoped he had friends who would notice he was gone and come looking for him.

The man stood up. He didn't know who he was, but he knew he wouldn't find out until he came across civilization. Maybe then someone would recognize him and take him home.

The man began to wander. As he wandered, he came across a river running swiftly to the southeast. It was about eight feet wide. The man drank the river water thirstily and peered at his reflection as he did. He seemed about thirty, with strong muscles and dark facial expressions. He had a swaggering stance, long, black hair, and a bushy black moustache. He realized, shamefully, that he wasn't wearing any clothing.

He decided to follow the river, figuring that at some point he would reach a town along its banks. He walked. And walked. And walked. Day turned into night, and no town was visible on the horizon. The man's stomach grumbled, his feet ached in protest as he urged himself onward.

After another half hour of walking, the man finally took a break. He sat down by the river to rest his feet. So preoccupied with the pain shooting up his legs was he that he didn't notice another man approaching him warily.

"Greetings, stranger." The newcomer said, startling the man. "What is your name, and where do you come from?"

The man by the river blinked in surprise. "I don't know," he answered honestly, "I woke up in the forest a few hours ago, that's all I remember."

The newcomer had shoulder length blond hair and was wearing body length black robes. He held a wand in his right hand. _How did I know what a wand was?_ The man by the river wondered.

"I am Marcus Ventrius, of Tara. You are thirty miles from my home city, which is over seventy five miles from any other cities. Have you been walking all this way? Why didn't you Apparate?"

The man by the river sighed. "I woke up in the forest, just as I sit before you now, only a few hours ago. I've walked since then, hoping to find civilization."

Marcus was impressed. "Merlin, the forest is a good twenty miles from here!"

The black-haired man shrugged. "As I said, I hoped to find civilization. Maybe someone would have recognized me."

Marcus chuckled. "Well, I may be able to help with that. First, you'll need a temporary name. I can't keep calling you Stranger after all, now, can I?" The stranger shook his head. "No, I didn't think so. Hmm…." His voice trailed off in thought. "Certus!" He finally declared.

"What?" The Stranger asked.

"Certus. It means 'determined' in the Ancient Tongue." Marcus explained.

The Stranger nodded. "Certus. It fits."

Marcus grinned. "Come, Certus, take my arm."

"Excuse me?" The newly named Certus asked.

"To Apparate to my cabin. It will take less time than walking." Marcus said patiently.

_Apparate_. The word rang a bell. Certus hesitantly grabbed Marcus's arm. A split second later, they stood before a small cabin on the bank of the river. It was two stories, made of wood with a brick chimney and a tile roof. The door was orange; the window-sills were an emerald green.

Marcus turned to Certus. "Wait here. I must warn my wife, Maggie, to conceal herself in another room before I let you in."

Certus nodded. A few seconds later, Marcus emerged again from the door and waved him inside. Certus followed quickly.

The cabin was much bigger on the inside than on the outside. It seemed like a mansion, almost. Long halls adorned with simple gold paint greeted Certus as he entered. The stretched from the left and right relative to the main room in front of him.

The room before him was warm and inviting. Plush lavender armchairs and sofas circled a wood table. A fire danced happily in a large brick fireplace at the end of the room. Bookshelves surrounded the room's walls.

Marcus had disappeared into another room, and held robes and undergarments when he returned. "Here. Put these on."

Certus pulled on the outfit and looked down at himself. The flowy black robes felt comfortably familiar, the lightweight pants just as comfortable. He still, somehow, felt naked.

"What's wrong, Certus?" Marcus asked when he noticed the man's frown.

Certus shook his head in confusion. "There's something missing. I don't know what it is." Certus answered.

Marcus laughed. "Your wand, sir, I'm sure of it."

"Why do you have a cabin this far from town anyways?" Certus asked, changing the subject.

"I research the local wildlife while Marcus experiments with new spells and potions to fight the Achnids and the Wraith." A new voice responded. Certus turned to the voice's source. It was a redheaded woman. She stood about five and a half feet tall and had long, curly hair. "Greetings, Visitor. I am Maggie." She introduced herself.

"I am Certus, as we've decided." Certus shook her hand. "What are Achnids and Wraith?" He was confused.

"The Wraith are beings of this galaxy that take away a human's life force with their hands." Maggie answered. "They have caused many deaths both on Lorena and on other planets."

"And Achnids – well, they're just as dangerous." Marcus continued bitterly. "The misguided fools are Wizards and Witches like us Lorenians. They terrorize and destroy any planet in this galaxy they cannot conquer. They believe that those with magic are superior to those without magic."

Certus grimaced. Neither foe sounded pleasant. Marcus turned to Maggie. "We must get him a new wand."

His wife nodded. "Certus, tell people in town that you are my cousin from Tralla to the north. Most Tarans do not travel so far away, so they will not know any different. Tell them that you are moving from Tralla to Tara, to live with Marcus and me."

Certus bowed his head slightly in appreciation.

"Come, Certus, take my arm. We shall Apparate to Tara's wand shop." Marcus declared. The two disappeared from the cabin.

Maggie shook her head, smiling fondly. _That's my Marcus._ She mused. _Always bringing the stray dogs home._

^^^^ _13 years later, two days before present time, on Lorena_ ^^^^

The moths passed into years, the years into decades. Certus never remembered his past, except the magic that he exercised daily. Marcus figured that it was something so a part of Certus that nothing could erase those memories.

Certus eventually proved himself as a valuable Bernien, a warrior of Lorena. He worked his way through the ranks until he lead the Taran Berniens.

Marcus had been elected to the Prelium's office in Tara. The other Preliums chose him to be the representative leader of all Lorenians. Ultimately, everything fell on his shoulders. Certus could not think of a better man for the job.

Certus entered Marcus's office, mumbling the password and tapping the door three times. He was being briefed on a new mission for his Bernien troops.

Marcus looked up from his desk as Certus approached. "Ah, Certus, I have an important mission for you."

Certus nodded and sat across from Marcus.

"Now, as you know, we've received word of an Achnid outpost near Lorena. I want you to take troops and infiltrate the outpost."

"What's so different about this outpost from all the others?" Certus asked. It usually wasn't a big deal to infiltrate an Achnid outpost.

"Our intel suggests that the Achnids have partnered with someone. This outpost is the base of that partnership."

Certus nodded. If his forces could find out who the Achnids were partnered with, they might be able to fight against them. As it stood they'd be blind if they attacked. "Ill take a team of five." He got up and left the room to find his team. He thought he knew just the place.

* * *

Kleit Korit was sitting on a stool in the Taran Daily, Tara's one and only pub. He was enjoing a rare day off with his fellow Berniens: Machien Vellus, Darien Doren, and Cally Soronus. Cally was the only girl on the team, one of the few in Tara's Bernien forces.

"Honestly," Cally said, "The man told me that I was inferior to wizards because I was a witch." The group snorted. Cally was notorious for her support of women's rights.

"What did you do?" Kleit asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I sent him flying into the wall ten feet behind him."

The group laughed heartily. Cally had done this on numerous occasions, even in front of their CO, Certus Cantante. Kleit, and the rest of the team, swore that Cally and Certus had some sort of feelings for each other, though both of them were too stubborn to admit it. Certus never punished Cally for defending women's rights, but he always got on Machien's case for protecting a "woman's honor", as he called it.

"What did Cally do this time?" Their CO demanded as he came up behind them.

Machien groaned. "Can't we manage one day without you breathing down our necks?"

Certus grinned. "You know me. I'm _determined_ to be a pain in the arse." He retorted, earning a series of eye rolling at the old joke. They all knew his name meant determined in the Ancient Tongue. "We've got an important mission. Gear up."

The others protested immediately. "But it's our day off!" Darien argued.

"Yeah, it is. And you're gearing up." Certus declared. "I'll explain on the way."

Kleit paid for their drinks and the team followed Certus out of the room. He wasn't surprised this had happened. None of them were. Something always came up on their holidays.

* * *

Nearly forty five minutes later, Certus's team was approaching Merlin's Portal, as the Lorenians called the Stargate. They each wore cloaks with engorged pockets, filled with every kind of potion they needed.

Darien ran ahead and punched in the address for the Outpost. They knew from previous experience that not all Wraith (or Achnid) outposts were well guarded.

All the same, Certus had his soldiers bring their Invisibility Cloaks, which they now threw over themselves. It was Lorenian law to carry the Cloaks at all times – they protected the wearer from detection, proving valuable when the Wratih came for a culling or the Achnids raided Tara. The secrets for making the Cloaks were passed on from generation to generation among Cloak making families. Luckily Lorena was rich in the materials needed for the Cloaks, or they would be incredibly expensive.

_Woosh!_ The Portal roared to life. "Here we go again," Machien drawled before they stepped through the Portal.

Mere seconds later, the team emerged on the other side. They were greeted by a swarm of Wratih, all pointing their stun guns at the Portal.

Certus used Legillimency to tell his team what to do. The soldiers followed his orders, moving to the right and walking right past the Wraith soldiers to the forest beyond. When they were a good fifty yards away, Certus told his group to remove their cloaks.

"Well I think we know who the Achnids have partnered with." Darien said bitterly. His entire family had been wiped out by the Wraith.

"How will we get home now?" Machien asked. "The Portal's storming with Wraith."

"Who said anything about going home?" Certus responded. "We need more information."

"About what?" Darien demanded. "We know what we're up against now."

Cally knocked him upside the head. "We don't know what they're planning or why they've partnered together."

Machien nodded. "She's right, you know. The Achnids have lost just as many to the Wraith as we have. What are they doing as their allies?" His voice shook with anger. Machien had defected from the Achnid Army. He still had family and friends on Achnea. This was why he left – the Achnid leadership cared only about the Empire, not their people. They had no honor, no morals.

Certus looked thoughtfully at Machien. He never had completely trusted the man, but he knew he spoke the truth. No planet in the Pegasus Galaxy had gone untouched by the Wraith. He was concerned that Machien's loyalties would be called into question on this mission. Certus decided to keep a strict eye on him. "Let's fan out. Machien and Cally, you're with Darien. Kleit, you're with me. If you find something, send a Patronus." It was a much easier way to communicate than Legillimency, after all, and didn't need close proximination.

Kleit and Certus wandered off to the north, while Machien, Cally, and Darien wandered to the south.

"Why do you think the Wraith and Achnids have teamed up?" Kleit asked Certus.

The man shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. It's possible they've worked out some kind of deal."

"What do you mean?"

"'I scratch your back, you scratch mine' sort of thing." Certus expanded. "Maybe the Wraith can have certain planets the Achnids have no need for."

Kleit shook his head. "That wouldn't make any sense. The Wraith can just take over any planet they want, without the Achnid's consent."

Certus nodded, pleased with his soldier. Kleit was brilliant, he gave him that. "There must be another reason, then."

Kleit's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No, it can't be…" he murmured to himself. "Do you think they'd be cruel enough to… offer a sacrifice to the Wraith in exchange for forces?"

Certus stopped walking and scowled angrily. "It certainly fits," he finally said. "I would be willing to bet money on that theory."

Kleit beamed at such high praise. Certus rarely complimented his team. They knew he wasn't trying to be mean or anything. Their CO used compliments as a reward for a job very, very well done.

They walked for a few more hours before backtracking to Merlin's Portal. It was useless. There was no sign of anything in the north. They now stood a good twenty yards from the Portal.

A silver mist appeared in front of them, startling the two Berniens. It took the form of a hawk – Cally's Patronus. "We're surrounded. We don't have much time. We were betrayed. Darien-" Her voice cut off.

A new mist appeared in front of them. It took the form of a horse – Machien's Patronus. "DARIEN IS THE TRAITOR!!! HE-" His voice screamed before it, too, was cut off.

Kleit stared at Certus in a moment of shocked silence. "What are you waiting for?" His CO demanded. "MOVE!!!"

The two beelined to the Portal, Wraith Darts flying overhead. They could hear footsteps pounding rapidly behind them. Achnids must have Apparated to the site the Patronuses had been sent to. They were following close behind the Berniens now.

"CLOAK!" Certus cried, throwing his Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders. Kleit did the same. They clung tightly to the silky fabric as they continued dashing to the Portal.

_Oh Thank Merlin!_ Certus thought as they neared the Portal. Not a Wraith or Achnid in sight, and the device wasn't powered up. He quickly punched Lorena's address into the system and stood back as the Portal activated.

Kleit turned around to cover his CO. The Achnids were not far behind them now, and Darien was there at the lead. The traitor was shouting orders as if he was a commander himself.

Certus was too lost in his own thoughts to notice Darien. It seems the betrayal had knocked Certus's memories back from the depths of his mind.

He remembered his name now. He was Sirius Black, and he lived on Earth, in England. He remembered that his _friend_, Peter Pettigrew, had betrayed James and Lilly Potter to an evil wizard whose name he still couldn't remember. He remembered being accused for Pettigrew's crime and sent to a dark prison.

He remembered escaping – how, he wasn't sure. He remembered finding a young boy; _Harry_, he thought as he saw the boy's face. He remembered a werewolf –_ Remus_. He remembered a veil. And then he remembered Lorena. How he got there, he had no idea.

"CERTUS!" Kleit screeched, not sure where his CO was. That was the only down side to Invisibility Cloaks. "WE HAVE TO GO!" A wave of spells and stun blasts fired upon the source of his voice.

His CO followed him through the Portal and they cast the spell to shut it down as soon as they got to the other side.

Kleit sunk to the ground, his head in his hands. "That BASTARD!!!" He screamed.

Certus looked at his last team member with concern. The man's arm was scorched. "Kleit, get up. We need to get you to the Healer."

Kleit looked at Certus like he was crazy. "What do you mean I'm fine-" he glanced at his right arm. His head grew dizzy, and everything went black.

**A/N: It's sort of a Cliffhanger, I know, but it'll all be ok in the end. Trust me.**


	5. Not Your Average Day Trip

**A/N: Yay! Finally, a new chapter! It took a lot longer to type this than I expected. **

**For anyone who's interested, I've updated my profile with a few challenges. If you write a story for them, I'll post a link on my profile and in my author's notes.**

**I bet you're as excited about reading this one as I am about posting it :)! Have fun, enjoy, and please review.**

_Present Time: Atlantis_

Madeline Marshall descended the stairs with the rest of her team. They _were_ her team now – Ronon had proved that much. She watched nervously as the 'gate powered up. In seconds, she'd be walking through the 'gate to another planet, one full of witches and wizards unhampered by a Muggle society blossoming around them. It was mind boggling to think of an entire world of nothing but Magic-folk. She'd brought her wand, just in case all those wizards and witches decided they were a threat. Though she'd barely used her magic over the last ten years, she felt the old wand was a safety net all the same.

The fifth chevron was now locking into place. Her nervousness grew even more. Not surprisingly, John picked up on those emotions. "You nervous?" He asked, "Should be. Ask Rodney what this thing does to your body."

John grinned as she shot a furtive glance back to the scientist in question. He looked bored, as usual. Ronon, noticing her worry, gave her a supportive nod.

Upon hearing John's comment, Teyla slid up next to the new diplomat. "Do not listen to John. He is teasing," the Athosian explained in a stage whisper. Madeline smiled as John sputtered in protest.

_Ka-WHOOSH!! _Madeline jumped as the wormhole locked into place. John waved her forward. "Ladies first." Madeline rolled her eyes playfully and stepped through the Stargate.

Five seconds later, Madeline appeared on the other side of the wormhole with frost covering her face. Madeline was shivering. The diplomat was thoroughly confused – everyone else walked right past her when they arrived.

John noticed her after a while and chuckled. "That's normal. Your body will get used to 'gate travel once you've been through it a few times." Teyla nodded in agreement.

A young woman approached from further up the path before them. She had bright blond hair, which lay in curls around her shoulders. She, much like the witches and wizards back home, wore a long black cloak, billowing about her as she walked forward. "I am Maggie Ventrius." She looked at Lorne. "I am glad you have returned. Much has transpired since you left." Her sapphire blue eyes watched him carefully.

"We need to see the Prelium. Our diplomat is here." He gestured to Madeline.

"Of course," Maggie said. "Right this way." She led them through the lush green forest surrounding the 'gate.

Ronon snuck up beside Madeline. "That's new." She glanced quizzically at him. "First pretty girl he hasn't tried to flirt with," he explained, gesturing to John. Madeline grinned. That sounded like John; after all, he'd flirted with her when she arrived on Atlantis.

Madeline shrugged. "He hasn't really gotten the chance, though, has he?" They'd just gotten there. She couldn't imagine even _him_ moving that quickly.

Ronon shook his head. "John flirts on sight, even before introducing us." He watched John's back with a worried frown. "He's probably sick."

John tilted his head to the side. "Yeah, sick of you spreading lies about me. I'm a perfect gentleman," he scoffed.

Madeline laughed outright. "A perfect gentleman who flirted with me the moment I stepped onto the base," she teased.

"You know, Sheppard, there is a reason I call you Kirk." Rodney put in. "And it's not because you're a captain of a starship." John glared at them, but fell silent.

Madeline grinned and turned her attention back to Maggie and Lorne's conversation.

"So have your Berniens returned yet?" Lorne asked. "They were still on their mission when I left."

Maggie's brow deepened into a dark frown. "I will let Marcus discuss that. No doubt he will have a better handle on the situation by now." Her voice shook as she spoke.

John looked at Lorne, who seemed worried. "What's a Bernien?"

Lorne shrugged. "They're kind of a cross between an FBI team and an Army platoon." He looked at Madeline, who would need to understand this as a diplomat. She stared blankly at him. "They investigate crimes, but they're often sent on reconnaissance and combat missions."

The dense forest thinned until they passed the tree line. "Woah!" Rodney commented.

Madeline agreed. The ground beneath them sloped downwards to meet with a river at the valley floor. Along the riverbanks stood a large town, filled with quaint English-style cottages. A large, ancient castle overlooked the village. It sat atop a hill, and seemed remarkably similar to the one in Heidelberg, Germany. "What a gorgeous castle."

The others nodded, and Maggie smiled. "It seems your world is rich with untapped magic. Most visitors cannot see Brooklan Castle until we have cast a special viewing spell on them. Merlin shrouded it in magic long ago to protect it from outsiders."

"Merlin?" Rodney asked. "Merlin was here?"

Maggie nodded. "Yes. He was the one who founded Brooklan School of Magic and built Brooklan Castle. He saw the Lorenian potential for magic and taught us to use it well. He left us a whole floor's worth of library records on magic and its uses, and on where the Ancestors went."

"Where did they go?" John asked.

"A planet in another galaxy, called Earth." Maggie answered.

Rodney snapped his fingers. "I think I know why we can see the castle. We all have the Ancient gene."

Madeline nodded. She'd gotten the Gene Therapy on the _Deadalus_, as had every other expedition member currently on the base. "We added the blood of Merlin's people to our own, so we could live in their city." Madeline explained to Maggie. "Nothing in the city works well without it. John here is one of the few born with it naturally."

Maggie frowned. "So you are not from the Ancestral City?"

John looked at Lorne, then shook his head. "No, we aren't. We're from Earth." Though he didn't normally tell people the truth, he figured that since these people already knew about Earth it'd be safe.

Maggie's eyes grew wide. These travelers might fulfill Merlin's prophecy, made long before the Ancestors left her galaxy. One of them might be the Protector, the One who would complete the task set out before him in the prophecy. "We have long awaited the coming of those from the Brotherworld. You will be most welcome here."

* * *

The sun was now starting to droop behind the hills behind Brooklan castle. The team had walked mostly in silence, except for Madeline's constant stream of questions for Maggie. She'd learned much about the ways of the Lorenians during that walk.

Lorena had ten main cities: Tara, Tralla, Darben, Coreil, Ethila, Frigia, Opherxies, Zard, Yukaru, and Biundi. Every four years, each city elected a Prelium, basically their version of the Prime Minister. No Prelium could serve more than three terms. Within the first year of the new term, the Preliums chose a Prolium from their numbers to represent Lorena as a whole. Lorena's capitol city changed with the Prolium.

Voting was open to anyone over the age of 20 by Lorenian reckoning, which (according to Rodney) translated to about 18 in Earth years. There were no voting restrictions on women, or on half breeds with intelligence. Madeline decided to ask later what Maggie meant by "half breeds with intelligence".

No Lorenian owned a slave, according to Maggie. They saw no need for it, since they could get the work done themselves faster with magic. On the rare occasion that a child was born without magical ability, he or she was educated in potions, scribework, astronomy, music, or another field that required little wand skill. These children, though often ridiculed, were accepted by most members of the society, especially in Tara. A small school was erected in Tara for children without magic, and has stood much the same for the last 200 years. The Taran Prelium was responsible for housing the Tofauti (their word for non magic folk) from other cities during the course of their education at the Tofauti School.

It didn't seem like a long time before the team was entering the city of Tara. The streets were wide and paved with stone bricks. The buildings were two stories high, made out of wood. Tarans roamed the paved walkways freely, bartering for fruits and vegetables or cauldrons and cloaks. Madeline was forcibly reminded of Diagon Alley, the Wizarding market place in London.

A new building towered far beyond the rest as they rounded another corner. The building was easily five stories high, made of white stone that resembled marble. The door was made of wood painted an emerald green, with a brass knob at the center. It stood nearly ten feet high and was nearly five feet wide. Up and down the door a singe sentence was etched, repeatedly.

That sentence read:

_Merlin protect those who enter and Merlin protect those who leave. _

John looked quizzically at Maggie. "Why do you ask Merlin for protection?"

Maggie smiled. "Merlin, as I explained before, founded Brooklan castle and brought magic to the Lorenian people. It has become common to ask Merlin for guidance, protection, and wisdom in our society." She opened the door and led them inside.

The hallways were decorated in emerald green and goldenrod yellow. They were far wider and far longer than one might expect, even from the building's vast expanses visible from the outside. A simple yellow carpet lined the floor beneath them, a green trim lined every doorway they past.

"Is there a reason why everything is painted green and gold?" Rodney asked, once he gained control over his jaw again.

Maggie nodded. "All pupils at Brooklan are sorted into two houses at the start of their first year. Harien house colors are green and gold, while Socien house colors are lavender and orange. Your house becomes like your family at Brooklan, and it becomes your political party after your graduation."

"So the Prolium is of Harien house?" Madeline asked, following the logical conclusion to the statement.

"Yes, our Prolium is currently of Harien house." Maggie told her. "Marcus is very much a Harien."

"Huh?" Ronon asked. "There's a difference?"

Maggie nodded. "We are sorted based on our personalities, determined by a cauldron at the Start of Term Feast. Students peer into the cauldron, which cycles through their memories and, once it sees enough, it spews the colors of the house the student is to join." Maggie smiled. "I am of Sorcien house. Sorciens are known for their intellect, cunning, and curiosity. Hariens, on the other hand, are known for their loyalty, honesty, courage, and generosity. Sorcien house is represented by the fox, Harien house by the wolf." This sent the team debating what house they would have been sorted into, if they had gone to Brooklan School of Magic.

"I'm obviously a Harien." John said proudly. "Courage, loyalty…" his voice trailed off.

Rodney shook his head. "No, no, you're a Sorcien. You're always touching things when you're not supposed to, you're always complaining about how the football coaches made some sort of tactical error, and your counterpart from that other reality was the leader of the MENSA club on Atlantis."

The team laughed at Rodney's assessment. John sputtered. "Well, _you're_ a Sorcien, that's for sure. You're all brains, but you'd run screaming if a Wraith came your way," he grumbled when he'd gained composure again. "What about you three?" He turned to the others.

"Harien," Madeline said easily. "Honesty, loyalty, generosity, and bravery – that describes me to the letter." She looked at Ronon, who stood beside her. "What do you think, Ronon?"

"Harien," he declared, without explanation. The others silently agreed.

Teyla, realizing she was the last one to speak, frowned for a second. "I am not sure. I have qualities from both houses, but I believe I would fit best in Harien. Honesty, loyalty, courage, and generosity outplay the other qualities."

"Here we are." Maggie said as they reached the end of the hall. A small door stood before them. "This is the Prolium's office. It is small for security. Most Lorenians would believe that the Prolium's office would be the biggest door in the hall. This is not." And indeed it wasn't. The door was the same size as all the others, painted in the same gold and green that the team had seen throughout the hall. She opened the door, leaving the team awestruck as they entered the room.

The room was oval shaped with a ceiling that arched from the door to the far wall. Madeline guessed that the room was around half the size of Hogwart's Great Hall. The floor was carpeted green with gold floral print. Rows and rows of bookshelves lined the walls and the first floor of the room.

Halfway through the room was a grand staircase sloping up to the second floor. Maggie led the group up the staircase.

"How is it that everything is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside?" Rodney asked John in a whisper.

Maggie smiled at the comment. "We use a complex engorgement charm to expand the space we have."

The second floor was even more magnificent than the first. In the center of the floor sat a large desk covered in scrolls and scrolls of parchment. The desk was flanked on either side by rows upon rows of large tanks and cages, the homes of what Madeline suspected were Lorenian wildlife. On the wall behind the desk hung three banners: On for Tara, one for Brooklan, and one for Harien.

A tall man with blond, curly hair sat at the chair behind the desk. He smiled and stood as Maggie approached. He came around the desk, embracing her and kissing her passionately as she rushed to his arms. "This is my husband, Marcus Ventrius. He is the Prelium of Tara and the Prolium of Lorena," Maggie introduced proudly when they separated.

Madeline grinned. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Madeline Marshall, diplomat for the people of Lantea. Accompanying me are John Sheppard, our military commander; Rodney McKay, our lead scientist; Teyla Emmagen, leader of the Athosians; Ronon Dex, a member of our team; and Evan Lorne, Colonel Sheppard's second in command." She motioned to each of them in turn. Marcus shook hands with all of them.

"It is an honor to meet you all." Marcus looked at the group, smiling broadly. "We are always willing to ally ourselves with those who fight against the Wraith."

As he spoke Maggie started to rearrange the room. Brandishing her wand, she moved the cages and tanks next to one another to make more room. Then, she conjured a large round table and enough chairs for the group, placing these in the space she created before. "Please, sit." Maggie offered the stunned expedition team members.

Marcus opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of the door opening below stopped him. Seconds later, two men came dashing up the stairs, short in breath.

"Levin, Certus, what is the meaning of this?" Marcus asked worriedly.

Certus answered first. "We were betrayed to the Achnids. And the Wraith." He clenched his fists tightly. "Kleit and I were the only two able to escape."

Marcus's eyes flashed angrily. "_What_?"

"Darien." Certus said bitterly. "We split up to search for, well, what we were there to search for. Kleit and I went one way, Machien, Cally, and Darien went the other. They got word to us through their Patronuses just in time." He sighed. "And I thought Machien was the most likely traitor. Now he's a _prisoner,_" he said desparingly, in a hushed voice.

"Machien and Cally are _STILL THERE?!"_ Marcus was livid.

"Do you really think we could have mounted a rescue mission with a _hive_ of Wraith and a _platoon_ of Achnids on our tails?" Certus demanded. "You know me, Marcus. You have for the last thirteen years. Have I _ever_ left anyone behind when I thought I could save them?" Marcus remained slient, seething quietly but understanding his friend's dilema.

With that argument, Madeline was forcibly reminded of one Sirius Black she'd known in her youth. This Certus had the same long, black hair, the same swaggered stance, and (apparently) the same bravery and loyalty as Black once possessed. Half of her wanted to believe that Certus and Sirius were one in the same, but she knew that was impossible. Sirius had died, thirteen years ago, way back on Earth.

"There's no way to know where they would be, either." John put in. "Did these Achnids take them? Or the Wraith? For that matter, are they even on the same planet anymore, or were they taken to a ship in orbit?"

"Hopefully the Wraith. It would be a kinder fate." A new voice spoke, appearing beside Certus. He was tall and had short, brown hair.

"Kinder fate?" Ronon asked the newcomer.

"You've obviously never been under the Cruciatus Curse." The man said gravely. "When the Achnids capture Lorenians, the prisoners are tortured to death or madness, whichever comes first."

Madeline immediately thought of the Longbottoms, tortured to madness under Bellatrix Lestrange's Cruciatus Curse. She remembered the searing pain that possessed her body when she was subject to the curse. She shuddered, her face ashen. Ronon placed a protective hand on her shoulder.

"So these Achnids are Wizards, too?" Rodney asked after a long silence.

Marcus nodded. "They believe that they are superior to the Tofauti. They conquer any planet they can and destroy those who resist them."

"Kleit here described their most devastating method." Certus added.

"They sound like a gang I fought in England, back home." Madeline commented, hoping beyond hope that Certus might recognize the word. He looked up at her sharply, but didn't say anything.

John, Rodney, and Teyla stared at her. "You fought a gang?" John asked incredulously.

"It is a long, complicated story. It is also highly classified." Madeline explained. "Let's just say I've seen my fair share of war."

_No wonder she won't talk about her past, _John thought. He looked at Ronon, who was watching Madeline closely. He wondered if the Satedan knew more about her past than she was telling them.

"Did Ronald die in the war?" Rodney asked insensitively. John kicked him hard. The scientist cursed in protest, casting daggers at his CO.

"You can answer that when you're ready to tell us, Madeline." John said.

Madeline smiled softly. "Ronald was… my fiancé. He died after the war against the gang, at the hands of a rogue gang member." She looked down. "I cannot tell you any more than that. I would suffer a fate worse than death if I did."

Ronon decided it was time to turn the subject of discussion back to the prisoners. "How can we help?" Ronon asked Certus.

"Help?" Certus repeated dumbly. He knew – just _knew_ – that somehow these people were connected to his past. Madeline's home was in England, where he was from. Madeline had a fiancé named Ronald… something about that name struck a chord in the distant, well-guarded sections of his memory. He was in a daze.

"We're going after your people, aren't we?" John asked, eyebrows raised.

Certus looked at Marcus, the daze shoved under his normal mask of leadership. "I want nothing more."

"We came back to get help," Kleit added.

Marcus was about to speak, but he was interrupted by a silvery mist flying into the room. It took the form of a snake.

"_COWARD!!" _Certus bellowed at the snake. "He doesn't come here and speak with us himself!"

"We have your people." A voice spoke from the silver snake. "Turn over Marcus Ventrius and Certus Calhoun in five day's time, and the prisoner's lives will be spared. Do this, and Lorena will have a place in the Grand Empire. If you refuse, the prisoners will die, slowly and painfully. Lorena itself will follow them to the Ancestral Realm soon after. We will come for your answer in five days." The snake disappeared, leaving the room in a stunned and seething silence.

**A/N: The next chapter **_**is **_**written, along with the one after that, so I'll be posting it probably sometime in the next couple of weeks. As soon as it's typed, it'll be posted. **

**Be sure to watch for my new Harry Potter story coming out in the next month or so. **


	6. Revelations

**A/N: I'm really, really, really sorry about the last month. Shortly after I posted chapter five, I realized that my school grades were drastically low. Thus, school became a big priority, and I shunned myself from FFN until I pulled my grades up. I have been writing, and I'm currently working on Chapter 10. So to make it up to you all, I'm going to post a chapter every two weeks on (starting with the next update) Sundays. You have my permission to stab me to death with your pencils if I don't. **

_Last chapter recap (because it's been so long): During SGA-1's meeting with Marcus, Certus, Levin, and Kleit appeared, fresh from the Achnid base. They brought the disturbing news that two of Certus' team was captured. Just as the group was discussing further options, a silver mist appeared that materialized into a snake. The snake carried a warning: turn over Marcus Ventrius and Certus Calhoun in five days' time, or both Lorena and the prisoners would suffer utter destruction._

The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife. The Lorenians' faces all held expressions of sheer hatred, anger, hurt, and betrayal. Certus's hands were clenched in tight fists around his wand; Kleit glared with slits for eyes and a mouth that (Madeline noticed) would rival McGonagall's when she was angry. Levin was pale, his hands red and sweaty. Marcus paced the floor back and forth, back and forth; Maggie watched him with concern, her face red and ashen.

The Atlantians watched the scene with confusion. They didn't know the voice, or what "Grand Empire" it referred to, or what made Certus react the way he did. Rodney glanced at John, whose face screamed "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!!!" He felt much the same way.

Madeline had guessed, silently, that the snake was the Patronus of the betrayer in Certus's team. That, she believed, was probably how Certus knew what was coming. _Curious,_ she thought, _Sirius reacted the same way when he saw... No. I can't think like this. Sirius is dead. He died thirteen years ago. Thirteen years ago… that's how long Certus and Marcus have known each other…NO! Stop it!_ She shook her head in frustration, trying to clear her thoughts. She couldn't believe he was alive. If Sirius was alive… then, perhaps… _NO!_

Ronon turned from watching the Lorenians to check on his team. John, Lorne, and Rodney both wanted to know what was going on – that much clearly danced across their faces. Not that Ronon expected any different. Those three never had their emotions in check. Teyla, on the other hand, let nothing more than concern show. If the Athosian woman was feeling anything more, Ronon couldn't tell.

Ronon looked towards the newest member of his team. He hadn't been around her long enough to detect a pattern, but he suspected that Madeline was a lot like Teyla and himself in these situations. She, after all, had remained calm when Levin, Certus, and Kleit had explained what transpired on the Achnid base while the rest of the room had erupted into hysterics. He expected her to appear just as solid and stoic as she was then.

Madeline wasn't, much to Ronon's surprise, but that's not what concerned him. She wasn't hurt, angry, confused, or worried like the rest of the group. Madeline had a frown on her face, staring openly at Certus as he started to pace the room with Marcus. She dropped her nose, letting her mouth hang slightly open. She closed her eyes, opened them for a while, then closed them again and shook her head forcibly. If Ronon were to hazard a guess, he'd say that she was having some sort of internal debate. What that debate was, and what it had to do with Certus, he had no idea.

John was the first one to speak, finally voicing the question that had been burning his tongue since the strange mist flew into the room. "What the _h- _what was that?" Okay, so maybe he edited it a little. Elizabeth would be proud of him for being diplomatic. John closed his eyes, trying to send thoughts of Elizabeth away for now. He'd have time to continue grieving later.

"That was a Patronus Charm." Kleit explained. "It is used for communication. Each person's Patronus takes a different form. My Patronus is a duck."

"THAT Patronus," Certus spat, stopping suddenly, "was the Patronus of Darien Doren, the _traitor_." He stared at the ground as he spoke, and slunk slowly to the floor, gripping his hair in his fists.

Kleit walked over to his CO, placing a hand on the long-haired man's shoulder. "Certus, Certus _please_-" Kleit paused. "You can't turn yourself in. You can't listen to Achnid demands."

"What choice do we _have?_!" Certus demanded solemnly. "If I don't – if we don't – they'll bring the full forces of the 'Grand Empire' upon us. You know they will. Machien and Cally will…" his voice trailed off, but the unspoken word echoed loudly throughout the room.

"Certus is right." Marcus agreed. "We must turn ourselves in. There is no other option."

"NO!" Maggie declared, surprising the Atlantians. Maggie had always seemed polite and well-contained to them. She rarely stated her opinions in that way, from what they could tell. "Can you imagine what message that would send to the galaxy? The highest leaders of the biggest threat to the Achnids turn themselves over to their enemy. It would seem like you are giving up – like Lorena is giving up."

"My dear Maggie," Marcus cast his pleading eyes towards her. "If we do not, there will be no Lorena left to fight."

"And there will be no Lorena if you two are not here to lead us," Levin spoke for the first time. "Pardon my frankness, sirs, but you do not know how much your people depend on you. Certus, you are a symbol of what it means to be Lorenian – you are a _hero_. Marcus, it is often said that without you, the Preliums would fall apart – you are our _Prolium_."

"Levin is right, Certus," Kleit affirmed. "Though they'd never show it, most of your troops would die to have your skills with a wand and your bravery in battle. No one can rival you."

Maggie nodded. "You two are not alone, Certus, Marcus. The whole of Lorena follows your lead. We all – even your political opponents – would fight for both of you. We wouldn't follow another's lead."

"Maggie's right, Marcus, you aren't alone." John spoke. "We will do all we can to help protect your world from the Achnids and Wraith." The rest of his team nodded in agreement.

Maggie turned to Marcus in sudden remembrance. "Marcus, the Atlantians are not true descendants of the Ancestors. They are from _Earth_."

Marcus looked up sharply towards the Atlantians. "Is this true? Are you really from Earth?"

Madeline nodded, slightly confused. "Most of us are. Teyla and Ronon are native to the Pegasus Galaxy." Every Lorenian in the room turned to them in shock, surprise, and, amazingly enough, _reverence_. Maybe it had something to do with the "Brotherworld" Maggie spoke of earlier.

Marcus thought for a while, turning between Certus and the Atlantians. "The records in Merlin's Library speak often of Earth, the planet known to all as the Brotherworld. Merlin prophesized long ago that we would ally with the Brotherworld to end the 'Battles of Old'. All Lorenians memorize the prophecy before they can read. You all will be welcomed as heroes here. Perhaps… Perhaps there is hope after all."

Rodney looked up and opened his mouth to speak. John, knowing his scientist was planning to ask about Merlin's Library, shook his head and mouthed _later_.

Certus, in the meantime, had grown quite silent. He was staring, just like the other Lorenians, with his mouth opened in a wide O. But unlike the other Lorenians, he was staring because, for the first time, he felt like he'd finally discover who he was. Madeline was talking about Earth, and about England. She _was_ talking about the same Ronald he – for some reason – remembered. Certus _knew_, though she didn't say anything, that Madeline knew who he was. He stared hard at her now. "Have we met before?" He asked, surprising the entire room.

Madeline was stunned. She hadn't thought Certus would ask anything like that. Now, her brain was in overdrive, trying to come up with theories as to how Sirius could have possibly become Certus. She stammered, realizing he was waiting for an answer. "I - I don't think so, unless you've somehow lived on Earth before. I'm new to the Stargate program."

Certus closed his eyes, thanking Merlin that he'd found someone from his home world at last. "I have."

"Certus?" Marcus questioned, concerned but hopeful. "Have you finally remembered?"

"Remembered what?" Kleit questioned. "What are you talking about, Certus? You grew up in Tralla."

Certus shook his head. "I did not, and I am not Maggie's cousin."

"Certus speaks the truth, Kleit." Marcus confirmed. "I found Certus on the banks of the river. He was, well, nude. He seemed to suffer from memory loss so severe he'd forgotten who he was. I named him Certus because he was determined to find civilization, in hopes that someone who recognized him would see him. Before now, he has not found anyone who recognizes him, or that he recognizes himself." Marcus turned to Certus. "When did you remember?"

"As I was running for the Portal, with Achnid and Wraith on my tail." Certus answered. "I remembered that I had been betrayed like this once before, that I had lost people very dear to me because of it. I dove into that memory, and many more started springing foreword. It was like I was watching my past life flash in clips before my eyes."

Madeline grew pale. Here was further evidence that Certus was Sirius. It sounded as if Certus ascended, then descended and landed on Lorena. She still knew it would be a huge coincidence if Certus and Sirius were one in the same. There were six billion people on Earth, after all.

"I remembered my _name_, Marcus. My real name, my birth name." Certus smiled broadly, white teeth glistening brightly. He looked directly at Madeline. "I am Sirius Black. I lived in England, on the planet Earth. I don't remember how I ended up on Lorena, or how I lost my memory. But I remember who I am, and who I once was. No longer am I Certus. Sirius Black is back."

Madeline's heart stopped pounding entirely. Her vision grew blurry, her head started whirring. She clutched her sides and keeled over to keep from fainting. She barely registered the shouts of surprise and concern erupting from both her coworkers and the Lorenians.

Ronon had his arms around her in a second, enveloping her in his protective bear hug. He was concerned – near hysterics, in all honesty – but he couldn't let that show. Right now, he knew she needed him as a rock, as something tangible she could rely on. From the sounds of things, he'd been the first real friend she'd had since she moved away from home. Right now, she needed whatever strength he could give her.

Sirius (_Merlin it's been long since I've called myself that_, he mused) wasn't quite sure exactly what was going on. He hoped beyond hope that Madeline recognized him, that she knew who he was, but most importantly that she could bring him back to Harry. He didn't remember much about the boy, except that he was James's son and that James was dead. He figured that, by now, Harry had grown used to being alone, but he wanted James's son to have something that resembled a family. He couldn't remember why, but something inside him told him that Harry's home life – well, his life in general, really – wasn't exactly pleasant.

In the meantime, John had pulled his weapon out and was pointing the gun at Sirius. "What the _hell_ did you do to her?!" He demanded. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew – somehow – that Certus (he doubted the man's real name was Sirius) had read Madeline's mind and pulled some name from her past. He figured if magic can move tables and torture people, it could read minds too.

"JOHN!" Teyla scolded. "He did not do anything to her. She reacted on her own."

John snorted as if he were Rodney. "Do you honestly believe that?! There's no way she recognized him. She's never been off world before moving to Atlantis, and we don't have a magical community on Earth."

Marcus looked up in shock. "That's not possible."

"Exactly my point!" John said happily.

Marcus looked confused. "No, it's not possible that Earth has no magic."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Of course it's possible. It's true. There are no 'magic folk' on Earth."

Kleit shook his head. "It can't be. Merlin moved there with the Ancestors."

John rolled his eyes this time. "Merlin wasn't a wizard. He was an Ancient. They had big toys that could do magical things."

"Merlin was a wizard. We have memories that show him using magic that we use ourselves." Maggie disagreed.

"Yeah, well memories don't prove much when the people who lived them are dead." Rodney retorted.

"They may not in the Tofauti world, but they do in the Wizarding world." Levin said. "Besides that, our records of the Brotherworld tell us that it was brimming with untapped magic, just like ours. That's why we call it the Brotherworld."

"Then your records are mistaken." Rodney countered. "There. Are. No. Wizards. Or. Witches. On. Earth."

"Well, I know for a fact _that's_ not true." Sirius laughed.

John swung his gun back on _Certus_ again. "Don't you _dare_ say what you were about to say."

"John, please." Madeline's voice spoke up. It was shaking, small; obviously insecure even to those who didn't have any training in the area. She was still recovering from the shock of Sirius's reappearance. "He's telling the truth."

John hesitated for a second before turning back to her. The young diplomat was looking up at him from her place in Ronon's grip. She was pleading, her face filled with worry as she glanced between him, his gun, and his target. "What do you mean?" He finally asked. "He can't be-"

"He _is_, John. He is. I know it's hard to believe, but please put away your gun and let me explain." Madeline pleaded again. She just discovered Sirius was alive – she wasn't about to let John bugger this up by shooting Harry's only "relative" in the head. Harry would be thrilled to have Sirius around him again. And she was going to make sure that happened. Finally, John started to lower his weapon, though the Lorenians still watched his hand carefully. "Thank you, John." Madeline whispered.

John nodded mutely, still seething in anger. He didn't think he was making the right decision, but he figured he should probably hear her out before he shot the bastard before him in the head. "Explain why I just did that."

Madeline took a deep breath. She knew eventually that this day would come, that the ruse would end, that sooner or later she'd have to face her past once again. "It's not an easy thing to explain, and it's not technically legal for me to do it, either. I don't think it should be a problem for me, though, since Sirius has already exposed our kind to you." She glanced at Sirius, whose expressions made him seem like Harry on his first true Christmas morning.

It took a second for her words to register in the minds of the rest of her audience. Predictably, Rodney's mind was the quickest. "Wait – _our kind_?"

**A/N: Yes, I do realize that's a little short, but it was the best place to stop. The next installment will come in two weeks, so mark your calendar!**


	7. Rodney's Roost

**A/N: Hello! Yes, I am actually holding to my update plan. I have no desired to be stabbed to death with pencils :)**

**I do appreciate reviews, as I've said before, but I guess I need to reiterate that I prefer **_**constructive**_** criticism over flames. I had one review recently that said my work was "boring" and "trash", but offered no suggestions to improve my writing. I don't mind constructive criticism – I relish it, actually – but I **_**do**_** mind flames. They're not nice, and they're not helpful. So please review, but remember: no flames.**

Those around the room blinked. Rodney was right, they all realized at once. She _had_ said "our kind".

Madeline smiled softly, looking directly at her team when she explained. "I was not born Madeline Marshall. I was born Hermione Granger, and I am a witch."

Sirius's heart stopped altogether. He recognized that name! He knew this girl, but from where he wasn't sure. She was a good deal younger than him – probably she was connected to Harry. A new memory flashed before him, one of Harry and two friends – a boy and a girl. The girl had brown, bushy hair, though, so he wasn't sure if this girl was the one he remembered.

"That's not possible." John said flatly. "There are no witches or wizards on Earth."

"I highly doubt that." Marcus disagreed with him. "I refuse to believe that the Brotherworld is without magic." The other Lorenians nodded. It would be impossible. The Prophecy spoke of those from the Brotherworld as if they were magical.

Hermione sent him a thankful grin. "It isn't. We just don't show ourselves to Muggles if we can help it."

"Muggles?" Rodney repeated.

Hermione sighed. "Non-magic folk like you."

"And you." Rodney added. "You aren't magical."

"I am." Hermione insisted with a laugh. _I am_. She repeated to herself, amazed that she could still admit it out loud. Not that she was ashamed of it, just that she had hidden her magic for so long. She'd often wondered if she'd ever be able to admit to her true identity.

Ronon watched the bundle in his arms with concern. Now he understood what her earlier debate was all about – she recognized Certus the minute he walked into the room, but didn't dare believe that he was back from the dead. He could see how that would cause anyone extreme shock. If he saw Elizabeth alive and well… Ronon shook his head, just as Made- Hermione had done, to clear his head.

Hermione stood up suddenly, knocking Ronon's protective grip out of the way. "Let me show you." She whipped out a stick about a foot in length and pointed it at Rodney. The scientist blinked, confused but not concerned. "_Wingardium Leviosa_"

Before Rodney could question the odd words, he felt himself rising slowly off the floor. Soon enough, Hermione's wand had seemingly lifted the scientist three feet in the air. He was still rising, though, much to his chagrin. Rodney watched the Lorenians, trying to find one of their wands. He was sure they were doing this to him.

But the only "magical device" that was out was in the hands of Atlantis's newest diplomat. And she was pointing it at him, moving it in little circles and guiding it upwards at the same speed he was going. "P-p-p-" Rodney stuttered. "m-m-m-"

Hermione smiled. After years of eating breakfast every morning with Ron, she was fairly good at deciphering incoherent noises coming from someone's mouth. "Do you believe me now?"

Rodney glared at her in shock. He was _not_ going to admit that magic existed on Earth. He was _not_ going to admit that he, Rodney McKay, was wrong. He was _not_ going to admit that things could happen that defied the laws of physics, and that this – this _girl_ could control them. He stubbornly shot his nose into the air and folded his arms.

John grinned at his teammate's obvious discomfort. "Rodney doesn't like admitting he's wrong about something," John explained to Made- Hermione. "It'll take him a while to come around."

"Mmm." Hermione commented. "Then perhaps I should leave you somewhere to mull things over a bit?" She guided him to the left, sending him halfway across the room. She looked around, as if searching for a good spot. "Ah!" She noticed a window above the banners behind Marcus's desk. It had a ledge just big enough for Rodney to sit on. "There we go." She announced, releasing Rodney from the spell after guiding him to the ledge.

John, Ronon, and Lorne chuckled. It wasn't every day that someone deflated Rodney's ego, and the three thoroughly enjoyed it when it did happen. Now, they could see, Rodney was trying to find a way down from his ledge.

"Get me down, Marshall, or so help me-" Rodney started.

"You'll what?" The diplomat interrupted. "Kill me with your laser eyes?" She smiled at the outright laughter from the others. "I won't get you down until you admit that you're wrong." She put her hands on her hips. "Trust me, Dr. McKay, not everybody is right all the time about everything."

"I am!" Rodney retorted angrily.

Ronon rolled his eyes. "So, Mad- Hermione, you said you could explain how you know Certus is telling the truth?" He decided it was time to get things back on course.

Hermione nodded, still grinning madly. "Sirius is my friend Harry's godfather. He died 13 years ago. Or at least we thought he had."

Sirius's head swirled. Now he remembered. James had made _him_ godfather. Not Remus. Not Peter. _Him!_ "I'm his godfather," he remarked with a grin.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, you are."

"I don't understand." John interrupted. "Why did you leave?"

Hermione sighed. "It's a long story, and like I said it's not technically legal for me to tell it, but since you already know about us…"

"You don't think you'll get in trouble for telling us." Ronon finished for her.

"No, I don't." Hermione confirmed. "And besides, they'll probably want in on the Stargate program when they find out."

John glared at her. "You signed nondisclosure forms when you were sent here, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did." Hermione stated flatly, glaring right back at him. "But I-"

"Then you can't tell anyone about the program. No matter how much you want to." John interrupted her.

"John, just _listen_ to me!" Hermione said irritably. "Sirius has every right to go back to Earth. How are we supposed to explain his sudden reappearance?"

"Not by telling the entire Magical community of Britain about the Stargate program!" John answered. He didn't think much of rules and regulations, but this was one that they _could not_ break. They played with so many lives if they did.

"Of course not. We'd come up with some wild cover story for the general population." Hermione agreed. "The Wizarding world believes its government to a fault. Anything it says is taken as truth. Sirius and Harry both have been at the wrong side of that over the years."

"We need to leave this decision for our superiors. It's not our call." John said. "What will help matters, though, is if you decided to tell us exactly _why_ you left the 'Wizarding world'. The beginning is typically a good place to start."

Hermione sighed. She wasn't surprised John reacted the way he did; if she were in his shoes she'd have reacted a lot worse. _Now… where to begin…_ Hermione looked up. "This is a long story, so I would appreciate it if we could get through it with as few interruptions as possible." She began after the others nodded. "When I told you I helped fight a gang in England during my youth, I understated things a bit. It was more of a cult than a gang, not dissimilar to the Nazi party in WWII.

"In fact, it was shortly after that time when a young man named Tom Riddle first discovered he was a wizard. Riddle was disturbed; mainly because of the poor treatment he got as an orphan. None of the professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sensed what he had the potential of becoming in those first seven years. If they had, I'm sure history would be very different.

"You see, Riddle hated the Muggles at the orphanage for how they treated him. That hate built itself up until it expanded to all Muggles. It consumed him so much that he changed his name to disassociate himself from his own Muggle father. This was the birth of the most evil wizard of all time: Lord Voldemort." John snorted at the name before the diplomat continued.

"Voldemort gathered followers . He and his Death Eaters started terrorizing Muggles and the wizards who protected them sometime in the 1960's. For over a decade, the Wizarding world waged a silent war between light and Dark.

"Few dared to oppose Voldemort. One was Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and the only wizard Voldemort ever feared. Dumbledore overheard a prophecy that spoke of a Chosen One who would have the power to defeat the Dark Lord. He put the clues in the prophecies together and sent James, Lilly, and Harry Potter into hiding, convinced that one-year-old Harry was the Chosen One."

"Sorry," John interrupted. "But how did he know that Voldemort was the Dark Lord?"

"That's one of the names he went by." Hermione explained. "Most people were too afraid to say his name, so they called him You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, or (if you were a Death Eater) the Dark Lord.

"Anyways, Dumbledore knew – thanks to spies – that Voldemort was searching for the Potters. Dumbledore hid them well, but Voldemort eventually found them." Hermione paused. "On Halloween night, 1981, Voldemort murdered Lily and James Potter with the Killing Curse, _Avada Kedavra_. No one survives the curse. No one, that is, except Harry Potter.

"Harry's mother was protecting him when she died, infusing him with old magic that forced Voldemort's spell to backfire. The curse hit him instead, leaving little Harry with an iconic lightning-bolt scar where the spell hit. And thus started the legend of the Boy-Who-Lived…"

_***** Earth, the same day *****_

Harry Potter paced his living room. He didn't know what else to do. They'd floo-called the portrait maker, asking if there was some sort of mistake. The wizard looked at Harry like he was a nutter, stating quite clearly that the spell weaved into a portrait never fails. It was so hard to believe that after all these years Sirius was out there somewhere, alive and well. "I just don't see why he wouldn't tell me he's alive." He fumed.

Ginny watched her husband go back and forth in front of the fireplace. She wished Hermione was here; the older girl had always been able to reason with Harry when he was like this. "I'm sure he has a good reason for it, Harry."

"_WHAT reason?!"_ Harry exploded. "SIRIUS WOULDN'T DO THIS!"

"No, Harry, he wouldn't." Ginny agreed. "He hated going into hiding, anyone could see that. No, I'm not sure he even knows he's Sirius Black."

Harry stopped. "You think he's been Obliviated?"

Ginny shrugged. "It's possible."

Harry shook his head. "No it isn't, Gin. I saw him fall behind the Veil. I saw him _die_." Harry looked back up at the portrait now hanging in between Ron and Hermione.

"We don't know what that Veil does. For all we know, it Obliviated him and sent him into the Muggle world somewhere." Ginny reminded him. "They never did find his body, after all, did they?"

Harry shook his head again and slumped into a couch. He hung his head. "What are we going to do, Gin?"

Ginny sighed. "I don't know, Harry, I don't know. I'm not entirely sure we _can_ do anything."

Harry looked up at her sharply. "What are you saying? This is SIRIUS we're talking about. He's _family_. We don't leave family behind."

Ginny smiled sadly at her husband. "Harry, we wouldn't have the slightest idea where to look for him. He could be anywhere. There are six billion people on this world, Harry, do you seriously suggest we bring in each one for questioning?"

Harry rose his eyebrows. "Of course not, but I can't just sit here and do nothing while my godfather is still out there somewhere." He stood up and grabbed a handful of Floo powder.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked worriedly, standing up herself.

"To get some answers." Harry threw the Floo powder into the fireplace. "The Minister's Office." He enunciated before stepping into the fireplace and vanishing in a puff of green smoke.

Ginny took her own handful of Floo powder and followed her husband to the Ministry.

* * *

A sunset poured through the window above the tapestries in the Prolium's office in Tara. It had taken nearly two hours to tell the entire story of the Second War and Hermione's role in it, and she still wasn't quite done.

Hermione sighed after a long pause. "The last few months I lived with the Wizarding world were wonderful. A lot of work, of course, but incredible all the same. Kingsly Shacklebolt was placed as a temporary Minister, since everyone from the Order trusted him. We were rebuilding the government bit by bit, starting from the top. We replaced the department heads Voldemort had hired with more trustworthy people and rebuked all of the anti-Muggle legislation his regime had shoved through in the last year. I helped a lot with the reorganization of things; Kingsly said I had a good head for that sort of thing and looked to me for advice.

"Harry and Ron worked with the Auror department, tracking down the last of the Death Eaters. After they were caught, the three of us helped organize the prosecution for their trials."

"You still tried them?" Rodney asked. He'd long since agreed that he was wrong, and Hermione had taken him down from the windowsill.

"Harry didn't want anyone to go without a trial. He thought they might find someone who really was under the Imperius Curse, like most of the Death Eaters claimed. I guess he wanted to stop anyone who was innocent from getting the same treatment Sirius did." Hermione paused again before she continued.

"We were so influential in the Wizarding world that we had a pack of reporters following us wherever we went. None of us liked it much, so we all decided to get houses in Muggle areas." Hermione scoffed. "That wasn't the best idea."

"Why not?" Ronon asked. "It would hide your home from other wizards."

"Yes, it did." Hermione agreed. "For awhile." She looked down. This was the hardest part to tell. "Four months after the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron got the courage to propose. The next morning, a Death Eater – no one knows who he was - attacked him on his morning jog." She shook her head sadly. "I always told him not to go out of the wards, but he never listened…" Ronon wrapped his arms around Hermione, who had sat back down in his lap.

"I decided to go into hiding. Ron had been my rock those last months. His sudden death knocked me off of my feet. It wasn't long before I was jumping at shadows, where no one could possibly get at me. Harry tried to help, but it just wasn't enough. Everything reminded me of Ron. I couldn't live in the Wizarding world without thinking about him."

"So you ran." Rodney concluded.

Hermione nodded, even though she could feel Ronon tensing at Rodney's flippant remark. "I ran." She sighed. "The Ministry created a new identity for me and sent me into the Muggle world. I'd been studying Muggle classes while at Hogwarts, so I was able to get a high school diploma after a year. College was simple, since I threw myself at my studies, not wanting anyone to be used to get at me if the Death Eaters found me. It was a valid concern, rogue Death Eaters, after all. Anyways, I finished my degrees before I turned 25 and I became a diplomat at 26 with the Muggle Prime Minister. I worked in America for a year before coming to Atlantis." She fell silent. _Merlin I hope they haven't turned on me._

John stood over her, staring down thoughtfully. "I don't think you've done anything worth losing your position here."

Rodney snorted. "Just wait until the IOA hears about this. The _bastards_ will want her head."

Hermione smiled grimly. "I can deal with the IOA. They can't be worse than the Ministry I dealt with as a child."

John nodded his agreement. "What I'm more concerned about is what they'll do to you. I've no doubt you can handle them, but they'll want answers."

"I can give them that." Hermione said.

"You don't understand. They'll want more than just answers to their questions." Rodney said. "They'll want to figure out how magic works. At any cost."

Hermione shot him a look. "You're not suggesting they'd-"

"Yes, I am." Rodney interrupted.

"They can't." Hermione retorted. "Not unless they want an international incident on their hands."

Ronon saw what she was saying. "You're an English diplomat."

"And if they start running experiments on me, the Prime Minister will have their heads." Hermione said with a smile. "So will the Minister of Magic."

"How would the Minister of Magic know?" John asked.

"They've been keeping tabs on me, I'm sure." Hermione said calmly. "There's no way they'd let one of their war heroes disappear without having _someone_ watching them." She paused. "Or at least being aware of said war hero's whereabouts."

John nodded. It made sense. He would probably do the same thing in their shoes. "We can deal with them later. Major Lorne, can you go check in with Carter? It's about that time. Tell her that we've met with the Lorenian leadership and we're still in discussions."

Lorne frowned. "Should I say anything about Hermione?"

John shook his head. "Not yet. We'll all go back down tomorrow and she can tell Carter herself. And yes, you should tell her about the five-day deadline. She needs to start preparing for everything."

"Levin, Apparate him to the Portal." Marcus spoke for the first time in a long while.

Levin got up and moved over to Lorne. "This will feel strange, but it is perfectly safe for those who've received the proper training." He put his hand on Lorne's shoulder and the two disappeared with a loud pop.

John turned to Marcus. "Now, what can we do to help?"

**A/N: Mark your calendars. Two weeks :)**


	8. Research

**A/N: In response to a couple of reviews, there is a reason that I did not have Sirius commenting during the discussion of Hermione's past. Remember, he was suffering from major Amnesia until recently, and everything seems to be coming back slowly. That's rather important for the story.**

The Minister of Magic jumped when his brother-in-law stepped through his fireplace. It wasn't every day that Harry came into his office, much less without warning him first. From that, Percy Weasley surmised that something was going on. His suspicion was confirmed when Ginny appeared after Harry.

Harry smiled grimly at Percy and shook his hand. It had been surprising when Percy was elected Minister of Magic five years ago, after Kingsley Shacklebolt decided to retire. Harry was glad that Percy got elected – he was one of the few people he'd trust to run the Ministry fairly.

"Harry, I'm glad to see you. And here, of all places!" Percy commented, hoping that his questions would be answered without him asking them. It was a lucky thing that Percy had to work a little late that night. It was nearing seven, and most of his staff had floo-d home already. Any normal night he was back home at six.

Ginny was glaring at Harry as she walked up to her husband. Percy rose his eyebrow at his sister, wondering what had got her knickers in a twist. Harry, he guessed, had left without her permission. She must have been in the room at the same time to hear the Floo address. _What would cause Harry to do that?_ Percy wondered.

Harry looked at his wife and sighed. "It's a long story, and it may seem crazy, but I have to say something. I can't let this go." Ginny's expression softened. _So maybe Ginny does know what this is all about_. Harry looked back at Percy. "I need a favor."

Percy nodded. He had suspected that. Harry never set foot in the Ministry, much as Percy had tried to get him to join the Auror's Office. Harry didn't want to work in the Auror's department; he said he'd seen enough battles to last a lifetime. The combined fortunes of the Potter and Black families, Percy surmised, were probably enough to support twenty fully grown wizards who didn't work. Merlin only knew why Harry lived in Grimmauld Place when the Potters had a family mansion as well. It was a mystery neither half of the Potter couple would talk about. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to know where Hermione is." Harry answered.

Now Percy's eyebrows shot up together. "I don't know what you expected, Harry, but I don't have any more idea where she went than you did."

Harry laughed. "Percy, do you really think she could have gotten settled in the Muggle world without going through the Ministry? Even if she did, do you really think that the Ministry, after the war at _least_, would have let her go without sending someone to follow her?"

"_Harry!_" Ginny admonished, shocked at her husband's rudeness. "I'm sorry, Percy, he's had a bit of surprise this morning."

Percy looked back and forth between the two, before finally resting his eyes on Harry. "Harry, I honestly have no idea where she is. If there are investigators following her, they were sent long before my time, and they were ordered to keep quiet about it when I got elected. Why the sudden interest in finding her? Does it have something to do with your 'surprise' this morning?"

Harry glanced at Ginny, then back at Percy. He knew he could trust Percy with this; if anything else, Percy knew he wasn't a nutter. "Sirius Black is alive. I need Hermione's help to find him."

~~~~~~~~~Lorena, the same time~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie and Marcus had taken Rodney to Merlin's Library at Brooklan castle, to search for anything that could help in the war effort. Now, four hours later, John, Rodney, Teyla, Kleit, Sirius, and Hermione had finished testing the effect of spells against different weapons.

The six had split up into pairs; Ronon with Hermione, Teyla with Kleit, John with Sirius. The Lanteans would take turns with the wizards (and witch) in shooting off attacks. Just as those with magic assumed, the projectile weapons weren't able to burst through their shields. The three had explained that it was a rule of magic, something that couldn't change no matter how strong the projectiles were.

Hermione hadn't been surprised when John had asked them to cast the Unforgivables (except the Killing curse) on his team. She knew he'd want them to be prepared for the upcoming battle. Luckily, she had the ready excuse any decent witch or wizard did when they were presented with such a proposition: the Unforgivables required a certain amount of hatred towards the victim. Since none of the Lorenians were particularly miffed with the Lanteans, it was an impossible endeavor. She agreed to show them the effects of normal battle spells instead.

Ronon's energy weapon had been a bit more interesting than the Lanteans' projectile weapons. It seemed the shields broke at a short-range distance; say around 10-15 feet or so. Any further than that, though, the shield was able to absorb the energy shot out of his weapon. The findings had those with magic scratching their heads in confusion. All three explained that, normally, energy weapons fired at any distance would be blocked by the shields. The fact that there was a range in which Ronon's weapon worked was surprising.

"Does anyone else have your weapon, Ronon?" Kleit questioned after the experiment was done. The Lanteans glanced at each other worriedly, knowing what Ronon's reaction would be.

Ronon stiffened, tensing up his muscles as he shoved his gun back in its holster. "No." He responded gruffly.

"Where was it made?" Kleit asked, not catching Ronon's tenseness.

"My homeworld." Ronon replied curtly. He hoped the idiot wouldn't pry any further.

Sirius laid a hand on his subordinate, glancing apologetically to Ronon. He knew Kleit had a hard time seeing when others were uncomfortable. "_Patientia_, Kleit. Now is not the time." He spoke using the Ancient Tongue, a language he'd had to learn in the first two years of his sojourn on Lorena.

Hermione looked at him quizzically from where she'd been watching Ronon with concern. She hadn't known that Sirius knew Latin, and voiced the comment.

Sirius was confused. "Latin? I was speaking the Ancient Tongue. That's where my Lorenian name comes from; it means 'determined'." Sirius shrugged. "I had to learn it when I first arrived here. Most Bernians use it as a code during battle. My team has never felt comfortable with that, so we never did develop the habit."

Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise, shaking her head slightly with a smile. "And you used to tease me about being a know-it-all."

Sirius grimaced, remembering now that she spoke the truth. "I hadn't remembered that until now."

"Why do you think you lost your memories when you came here?" John asked him.

Sirius shrugged again. "I don't know, honestly. I don't even know how I got here."

"It's obvious isn't it?" Hermione asked. "You Ascended on Earth, then Descended here."

"Ascended?" Kleit questioned, brow furrowed. The Lanteans were all nodding, understanding what the young witch was getting at, but Kleit and Sirius were confused.

"The Ancients (that's what we call Merlin's race) were so advanced that they evolved to a higher plane of existence, where they all exist as immortally as energy." Hermione explained. "The process is known as Ascension, and it's possible if you have an Ancient helping you."

"So you think I Ascended?" Sirius asked.

"Yes. It fits." Hermione agreed.

"How so?" Kleit posed.

"When someone Descends, they are typically left without their memories, or any form of clothing." Hermione looked at Sirius. "That is how Marcus found you, isn't it?"

Sirius nodded. "But why would I Descend? I would've done more good as energy, wouldn't I? There has to be some sort of power that comes with that form of existence."

Rodney laughed. "Yeah, there are. The Ancients don't feel it's their place to interfere with mortal affairs."

"You're kicked out if you do." John put in.

"Somehow I don't see you agreeing to that philosophy." Hermione added.

Sirius, however, had stopped listening. He was too lost in a memory to notice anyone around him…

~~~~Brooklan Castle, Merlin's Library~~~~

Marcus sighed, pausing from his notetaking. He was sitting next to Maggie in one of the private studies reserved for research in Merlin's Library. The study was a small room, with a single table about eight feet long and five feet wide. Four torches hung in the corners of the room, enveloping the study in their light. The door was hidden by a bookcase, so neither of them expected any interruptions.

They'd left Rodney on the second floor, using his own private study. Marcus didn't know what the scientist expected to find up there. Most of the books on the second floor were untranslatable, written in a language that had been lost to Lorenians for centuries. Other books were written half in the Ancient Tongue and half in the mysterious language, using terms no one on Lorena understood completely. That was why the Bookkeepers called this floor the "Hidden Floor": the substance within the books themselves or their origin itself was still a giant question mark. Their Bookkeeper had shown Rodney the second floor when they'd Floo-d in. The scientist had taken a book from the shelf, one written in the mystery language, and requested a chance to go through the books on Hidden Floor even before seeing the books on Open Floor. Though curious as to what he had found, Marcus granted him permission and told him to find the Bookkeeper when he was ready.

Maggie had spent the last four hours searching their records of Merlin's history, hoping to find anything that could help them in their current situation. So far, she'd found a lot of information that was interesting, but nothing that pointed to how the Wraith could be defeated, or where the Achnids had first come from. Legend stated that Morgan LeFay had trained the Achnids on their homeworld when she found her rival training the Lorenians, but no records provided facts for the age-old theory. It was her hope to find something, _anything_, about a weakness in either the Achnids or the Wraith.

Marcus was hoping, in contrast, to develop a new tactic that could help them defeat their enemies. He knew Merlin's Library contained records of how to combine magic and technology, though none of the Lorenians ever had had a use for them. Maybe, in these books, there would be some way to create a powerful weapon to help them defeat their enemies.

So far he'd found records on building spaceships in a way that merged technology and magic. These records contained instructions on building an engine using energy from a Patronus charm to help generate its power. It was an interesting concept, considering that the Patronus charm was one of the most powerful forms of magic the common wizard could control. In its raw form, the Patronus was pure energy, more than enough – he suspected – to run an engine.

The door to the room, sliding to the side as the bookcase blocking it moved out of the way. The Bookkeeper walked in, Rodney following closely behind him. "RodneyMcKay has answered many of our mysteries," the Bookkeeper said.

Marcus raised his eyebrow. "Really?"

Rodney nodded. "The Mystery Language is actually Ancient."

Marcus shook his head. "No it is not the Ancient Tongue, not all of it."

Rodney looked confused for a second, and then realized Marcus must be referring to the Latin he'd discovered in some of the newer tomes. "Are you referring to the Latin I found?" He said, showing the Lorenian a phrase of Latin in one of the books he had with him.

Marcus nodded. "Yes, that's the Ancient Tongue. I do not know this 'Latin' you speak of."

"It's what we call it on Earth." Rodney explained. "I'm saying that the Mystery Language is the language of the Ancients; or the Ancestors, as you call them."

Marcus stared at him. "You speak this language?"

"Yeah, I do." Rodney replied. It's very similar to Latin in the spoken version, and we've been able to crack the written version ourselves, thanks to our head linguist." He opened the book. "But that's not the point." He showed Marcus a picture of what looked like a large snowflake-shaped spaceship. "This is."

"What is that?" Marcus questioned.

Rodney smiled. "It's Atlantis. Or, more specifically, one of five Ancient cities spread across the galaxy." He picked up another book, opened it to a second picture, and showed it to Marcus. "And this." Rodney seemed excited as he spoke. "This is a ZedPM. It powers Ancient technology."

Marcus looked at Rodney, watching the scientist's excited expressions in slight confusion. "I'm not sure I entirely understand what you're trying to tell me."

"These tomes tell us where to find the five Ancient cities, and what machines in these cities build ZedPMs." Rodney explained. "At full power, Atlantis would be a force to reckon with. With four other cities, we would have a serious advantage over our enemies."

Marcus nodded, finally joining Rodney in the excitement the young scientist displayed. "I think we should return to my office."

"Very well, sir." The Bookkeeper intoned, cutting into their conversation. "I will lead you all back to the front desk, where you may check out your selections."

"Thank you, Bookkeeper." Maggie replied, following the Bookkeeper out of the room, Rodney and Marcus close on her heels.

~~~~~ Earth, the same time~~~~

It was now nearing eleven, much to Percy's displeasure. He still hadn't found anything about Hermione and where she had been placed, despite knowing for a fact that there was a Magical Protection Program for those involved with life-threatening situations. He had to lie to Harry and Ginny, which he didn't like doing, but he couldn't have told them about the MPP, since it required a certain amount of secrecy to operate. He didn't think he'd have an issue with Harry and Ginny blowing the program, but if Hermione really was in MPP, and she didn't want to be found, then he needed to find her first _before_ letting Harry have a go at it.

Percy had had to go to Grimmauld Place before he finally admitted that Sirius Black was still alive. Much to Harry's chagrin, he ended up agreeing with his sister when it came to doing anything about it. Percy started by going to the Department of Mysteries himself and asking the Head of the Department, an ex-Ravenclaw by the name of Torrence Allen, about the Veil that Sirius fell through. He had been sworn to secrecy before he got his answers.

"We don't entirely know what the Veil does." Allen started, "But we suspect it's some sort of transportation device. Where it goes, and when it goes, are still a mystery."

Which was why it was in the Department of Mysteries to begin with.

Percy put the Head of the Auror Department, Seamus Finnigan, on the case of Sirius's disappearance. He told Seamus ahead of time that he didn't really expect the Auror to find anything, but it was worth it to look. He also told them that there was no need to go to the Department of Mysteries, since he'd already discounted that possibility himself.

By now, he was ready to call it a night, and get back on these problems in the morning. It really wasn't feasible to believe that he'd find anything. There was something about this case, though, that had Percy's brain wheeling in a way that he knew it would be impossible for him to sleep that night unless he _did_ find something.

_No wonder the Sorting Hat considered placing me in Ravenclaw_, Percy thought bitterly.

He was now down in the Archives, a section of the Ministry that was only known to the Ministers themselves. Here was stored all of the old files from every term any Minister ever served. The Archives were below the Department of Mysteries, and only accessable by a button on the elevator hidden from anyone who wasn't the current Minister. An ancient ghost – the ghost of Henry McDonald, the first Minister of Magic – haunted the rows of boxes of age-old files. McDonald was there to serve the current Minister, whomever he or she may be.

Percy was sitting at the lone desk in the long room, which was laid out much like the Prophecy Room in the Department of Mysteries. He silently thanked Merlin for McDonald; it would have been impossible to go through all of these files on his own. "Henry," Percy called.

The ghost appeared by his side, with a bright, "Ah, hello Percy, how may I serve you this time?" It only sounded a wee bit sarcastic.

"I need any files you can find from my predecessor on a witch by the name of Hermione Granger." Percy commented.

The ghost raised his eyebrows. "Not going behind the back of your illustrious bride, are we?"

Percy snorted. Obviously the ghost had read his own file, in which Penelope was mentioned. "No, nothing like that. Just a missing person's case Harry Potter has asked me to solve."

"Oho! A favor, then. You're the first Mister in years whose asked to help a friend. Right-o, my boy, I'll get on it in a snap."

Percy shook his head, reminded too much just then of a certain Defense professor that had been far too enthralled with himself.

Absentmindedly, Percy remembered his first encounter with the peppy ghost.

_Percy walked into the Archives on his first day in office, not knowing exactly what the were, since he'd never seen the button in the elevator before. _

_Suddenly, as soon as he sat down in the chair at the lone desk in front of the elevator, a ghost appeared by his side. "So you're the new Minister! A pleasure to meet you, young one."_

_Percy, so shocked by the whole situation, had just sat there, jaw hanging open._

_The ghost's face fell. "So you weren't told about me, were you? Of course not. I never actually met your predecessor, so you'd have no way of knowing." The ghost heaved a sigh. "I am Henry McDonald."_

"_Th-the first Minister?" Percy asked excitedly. "Are you really?"  
_

_The ghost beamed. "Yes, glad to se someone who knows who I am for once. Just who, exactly, do you have teaching History of Magic at that school of yours?"_

"_A dreary ghost by the name of Professor Binns." Percy commented._

"_Oh, yes, now I remember. No one speaks well of him." Henry nodded. "Now, I bet you're wondering what in Merlin's name this place is."_

"_Yes, I am. I've worked in the Ministry for years and I've never seen that odd button before today." _

"_Well, my boy, you are in the Ministry's Archives. It's a section devoted entirely to organizing the old files from my term onwards."_

_Percy grinned madly. What a find! "And I'm supposed to pass the information onto my replacement, when they're elected?"_

_"Yes. I'm not entirely sure why you never got the information. You are next in line after Rufus Scrimageur, aren't you?"_

_Percy shook his head. "I think I know why. Scrimageur probably never told his replacement, since that one was put in place by You-Know-Who."_

"_Who?" The ghost asked._

Percy grinned as he remembered his shock at the ghost's lack of knowledge about current affairs. By the time he had left the Archives, the rest of the Ministry was up in arms. He'd had a hard time explaining his disappearance. From then on, Percy made sure to visit the Archives only at night, when no one would miss him.

McDonald floated back to the desk, his hands clutched around a set of folders. Yes! Some luck at last! "Here you are, my boy."

"Thank you, Henry." Percy replied, wondering again exactly how McDonald was able to hold solid objects. Alas, like the other times he'd been down here, he hadn't the time to ask the ancient ghost about that. Instead, he opened up the files and began reading.

There was Hermione's picture in the corner, staring blankly back at him. Percy shuddered, reminded about how Hermione was after Ron's death. He flicked the photo behind the rest of the papers, not too keen on thinking on _that_ subject.

He saw her birthday, records of her parents, when she started school, what house she was in… ah! Here was what he was looking for.

_Current status: MPP_

_Reason for placement in MPP: depression, possible danger from rogue Death Eaters_

_MPP file number: 713_

_  
_Percy looked up, searching through the stacks of files on his desk. _There_. He had found Hermione's MPP file.

_Name: Hermione Granger MPP Persona: Dr. Madeline Marshall_

_Placement: British Embassy, USA Occupation: British diplomat, to USA_

_Agent in charge: Hannah Abbot-Longbottom Current location: Unknown_

So Percy had to go see Miss Abbot.-Longbottom. He'd do that in the morning. As it was, it was time to go to bed.

"Thank you, Henry. You have, again, been most helpful in this matter." Percy said to the ghost.

"Anytime, Percy, anytime." Henry replied, waving as the young Minister entered the elevator and left the Archives. "Fine young lad; just what I'd like in a Minister myself."

**A/N: I know, I know… nothing really happened in this chapter, but it needed to be written, otherwise other things later on might be all screwy.**


	9. A Trip Down Memory Lane

**A/N: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed, those of you who added this story to your alerts, and those of you who added me to your author alerts. It's nice to see this story being read. **

For clarification,

_Sirius's memories, _present-time storyline.

"_Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix Lestrange screeched._

_Sirius felt the curse hit his chest. His body staggered back, falling to the floor, sliding through a silky fabric as he went._

_He could hear Harry calling him, Bella laughing shrilly with glee. He tried to call back to Harry, to tell him he was alright. He tried, but Harry heard no sound out of his godfather's mouth. _

_Sirius jumped up, shoving the silky fabric out of the way. The fabric didn't budge. He could see harry through it, could see him fighting Bella. Soon the fight was taken out of the Death Room., and all was uncannily silent._

_Sirius didn't know why Harry hadn't seen him, despite all his jumping and arm-waving. Sirius didn't know why Harry hadn't heard him, despite all his shouting and cursing. Sirius didn't know why the Veil wouldn't move, despite his fingers grasping and pulling at it. All he knew was that he had to find a way to help Harry - that he had to find a way out from behind the Veil._

"_There is only one place you can go," a Voice said behind him._

_Sirius's wand arm shot up as he turned. "Who's there?" He demanded._

"_I am neither here nor there, but I am all around you, and in you. What am I?"_

_Sirius's temper rose. He didn't have time for riddles. Bloody Death Eaters, he swore to himself, for he was sure that was what this was._

"_Answer the riddle, young one."_

_Sirius clenched his jaw. "No."_

"_If you do not answer it, I cannot take you home."_

_That changed matters. It wasn't much of a home, but Harry was there. Harry needed him. "How do I know I can trust you?"_

_The Voice laughed. "What do you have to lose, Sirius Black? Your life? It seems you have already lost that."_

_So the spell had worked? "If I'm dead, how am I still here?" Sirius demanded. "How am I still-" Sirius stopped. There were plenty wizards he knew that should be long dead, long departed._

"_You see, now, don't you?" the Voice said. "You see what you have become? Answer the riddle, and you will be taken home."_

"_My home? To Harry?" Sirius asked._

"_Your home." The Voice replied. "To your home."_

_Sirius thought about the riddle. It was difficult. He'd wished he had paid more attention to Remus's riddle games with Lilly. The two had spent many hours studying old riddles, but none he remembered were like this one. _

_The answer had to be something that was invisible, and all-encompassing, like air. That wasn't right, though; air wasn't "in him" like the riddle required, since he was a ghost at the moment. _

_Sirius thought for awhile more, discounting theories until he came up with only one possible answer. Sirius looked around, not knowing where the Voice was coming from. "Energy." He said finally. "You are energy."_

_

* * *

_

"Sirius," a voice called to him, but it wasn't _the_ Voice.

The wizard looked up when he heard his name. Hermione was staring at him, concert written on her face. "Sirius, are you alright?" She asked.

Sirius waited before speaking. "I need a pensieve," he said before falling into his memories once again…

_

* * *

As soon as he spoke, the room around him grew blindingly bright. The light lifted him with it, enveloping him and rising upwards with him in its grasp. "Where are you taking me?" Sirius asked._

"_Home," answered the Voice._

_The Voice took Sirius, who watched as they rose above the Ministry, through floors, then ceilings, then the roof itself. Now they rose above muggle London, rising higher and higher until, after another blinding light, they rose no more._

_Sirius opened his eyes, not realizing he'd closed them. He was on his back, on the ground. He was clothed in his robes, which were sprawled around him. _

"_Welcome, Sirius Black."_

_

* * *

_

"SIRIUS!" Hermione screeched. The wizard had dropped to the floor, where he lay motionless. John knelt down next to him, pressing his fingers into the Englishman's neck.

_Thank God,_ John thought. He could feel a pulse – slight, but there. "He's alive." He saw Hermione breathe a sigh of relief. "Do you know what's going on?" He asked the witch.

Hermione shook her head. "N-no."

* * *

_Sirius stood slowly, desperately looking around. He wanted to be home; this wasn't it. Instead, he was in a diner. A muggle diner. People sat in booths, waiters shoved past him. No one seemed to even notice he was there._

_No one, that is, except a tall man with bright red hair, wearing a medieval tunic and breeches. He had an athletic figure, standing six and a half feet tall. He was a man Black knew from his History of Magic textbook, a man he always revered even more than Dumbledore himself._

_It was impossible that this man was standing before him. It seemed Sirius really was dead; that Bella's spell did its job._

_The man before him spoke. "You will be going home, just as I promised. But first you need to see where your home truly is, for it is not on Earth."_

_Sirius frowned. "What do you mean?" He paused. "There's no other world with life on it, is there? I mean, only nutters say that aliens exist, and I'm no nutter."_

_The man laughed. "I'm glad my descendants have kept their courage, especially you. You will need it to protect your home."_

_Sirius's jaw dropped. "I'm…"_

_The man's eyes twinkled, much like Dumbledore's would have if he were here. "Yes, Sirius Black. As Slytherin as your family seems, they are my descendants."_

_Sirius couldn't help himself – he laughed. And laughed. Because there was just no way that the Black family was descended from Godric Gryffindor. "I'm sorry." He said once he got control of himself. "You must be mistaken. There's no way my – family – is related to you."_

_Godric smiled. "Are you absolutely sure? What about the bravery that runs in your family? The stubbornness? Two qualities I am known for, if I am correct."_

_Sirius thought. Though they weren't the main qualities most of his family possessed, he had to admit that the Blacks were known for stubbornness and bravery in most cases. He realized that, as horrible as her actions were, his cousin Bella was a brave witch for joining a mostly male organization like the Death Eaters. From what he understood, it was difficult to be placed in a leadership role as high as Bella was as a witch. And he knew from personal experience just how stubborn his mother, father, and brother were. He still had the scars to show it. _

_Godric smiled. "It was not until the 15__th__ century that your ancestor decided to follow Salazar's teachings instead of mine. From that moment on, the Black family became a Slytherin family. Until you."_

"_Why is that? If we really are your descendants, shouldn't we be in your House? All of us?" Sirius argued. "Doesn't the Sorting Hat take blood into consideration?"_

"_It does, but it focuses most on what House suits the personality of the student the best." Godric explained. "There have been muggleborns and half-bloods sorted into Slytherin, after all."_

_Sirius winced, imagining what a muggleborn's life in Slytherin would have been like. "Still, nearly five centuries of Slytherin Blacks, and we're related to Gryffindor. How the bloody hell did it happen?"_

"_Ah, dear Sirius, that is a story far too complicated to describe here. Not without other explanations first." Godric replied. "Suffice it to say that your Sorting proves that your place in the universe is not among the Gryffindors of Hogwarts, but the Hariens of Brooklan."_

"_Brooklan? Is that another magic school? I've never heard of it." Sirius said. _

"_I doubt you would have, for it is not on Earth, but my homeworld Lorena."_

_

* * *

_

Marcus was surprised to find Sirius lying on his back when he entered the room after Floo-ing from Brooklan Castle. "What happened?"

Hermione stood from where she knelt by Sirius's side. "We don't know. He was fine, but then he spaced out for awhile."

"When we got his attention, he asked for a – pensieve, right?" John continued at Hermione's nod. "He collapsed after that."

"What's a pensieve used for?" Rodney asked, coming up behind Marcus.

"It's like a DVR for memories," Hermione replied. "You put your memories into the pensieve and you can play them back. You can even bring others into them if you need to. They're very useful in criminal trials."

"Then he's probably getting a rust of memories." Rodney said.

Hermione nodded. "It makes sense. The overflow would probably knock him out."

"So what do we do?" Ronon asked.

"We wait." Kleit answered. "He'll wake up sooner or later."

* * *

_Sirius's head swam. "Like I said, that's impossible. Life only exists on Earth."_

"_Sirius, let me ask you this. Have you ever looked at the stars and felt like you were meant to live on one of the stars spread out that sky?" Godric said. "Have you ever truly felt like Earth was your home?"_

_Sirius began to reply, then stopped. He was now realizing that he really hadn't felt at home his entire life, not even at Hogwarts, not even at the Potter's family home. He'd always felt wrong, somehow, and had credited that to his oh-so-wonderful mother and father. He opened and closed his mouth, not sure what to say._

_Godric grinned. "See, young one? You are not meant to live on Earth."_

"_How do you know?" Sirius challenged him._

"_A prophecy written long ago spoke of the Protector of Lorena, the One who would lead them against their enemies to end the Battles of Old."_

_Sirius shook his head. "I'm not your man. I'm no leader. That was always James's job, and Harry's. I'm the faithful sidekick."_

_"You were meant to be more, Sirius Black." Gryffindor insisted. "Listen to the prophecy set by Merlin, long before he ever lived on Earth._

" _From the forest the Protector shall appear,_

_From the Brotherworld he shall come. _

_From a line of blood-traitors he shall rise,_

_And a lion shall he become._

" _When the Brotherworlder dies,_

_The Lorenian is born._

_The Protector he shall be forevermore._

" _Betrayal he has known twice,_

_From both the Snake and the Rat._

_But the Otter, Duck, and Eagle are true,_

_And will help him see his job through._

" _The Protector, young yet bold,_

_Will ally with the Brotherworld_

_To end the Battles of Old."_

"_Well that's an uncharacteristically specific prophecy." Sirius commented._

"_That's because it was written by Merlin himself, who saw these things come to pass during meditation. He knew what was coming, and he knew you would be the Protector. He could see, even then, what you can't see in yourself." Godric said._

"_Wait, you said before that Merlin wrote that prophecy before he came to Earth." Sirius said. "Is he from this – Lorena, is it?"_

"_No, he is not." Godric said. "I was wondering when you would ask that. It is a miracle he did prophesize this, for there is no other way I would be allowed to tell you this." He sighed and motioned to a nearby booth. "Sit. We have much to discuss."_

_Sirius sat, and Godric explained everything._

_

* * *

_

Time passed slowly for those in the Prolium's office. Hermione sat vigilantly next to Sirius, Ronon wrapping his arms around her as he sat beside her. Marcus paced his office, Maggie read from a book she pulled form the downstairs library. John, Teyla, Rodney, and Kleit discussed their tactical situation at the table Maggie had conjured earlier.

"How many Hives are we talking here?" John asked Kleit.

"One that I saw. There could've been more in orbit." Kleit answered. "And at least a platoon of Achnid war mages."

"How big is a platoon?" Rodney asked.

"Around 150 mages." Kleit answered surely. "And each one is a forced to be reckoned with. Together, they're about as difficult to defeat as a Wraith Hive Ship."

"What are your forces like?" John questioned.

"Well, we have fairly large numbers, but we're dwindling fast. We have 29 reconnaissance teams of five and four platoons of fifty war mages in Tara alone."

"And the other cities?" Teyla asked.

Kleit shook his head. "I don't know. That's part of Certus's job." He paused. "Excuse me; Sirius's job. He's our General."

John nodded. "So we have plenty to work with if we went with a full-out offensive."

"Yes we would," Kleit conceded, "but I doubt that would be a good idea."

"Why?" Rodney challenged.

Teyla sighed. "You have enough experience with the Wraith by now that you should be able to understand, Rodney."

"In other words," John explained, "foot soldiers – even magic ones – aren't enough to bring down a Hive Ship on their own."

"That's where we can help." Rodney said, connecting the dots.

John nodded, reflecting on Rodney's ability to state the obvious.

"So when are we sending teams out?" Rodney asked.

"Huh?" John said blankly.

"Hello? The library finds?" Rodney said.

"Library fines? What fines?" John answered.

"Library _finds_, not fines." He pulled a book from the floor next to him. "I found records of where to find four other cities like Atlantis, and what machines in the cities build ZedPM's."

John's ja2 dropped. "That's a pretty big find. Why didn't you mention it before."

Rodney shrugged. "Blame Sirius. He's the one who fainted and distracted me."

"Certus didn't faint. He collapsed. There is a difference, Dr. McKay." Kleit contradicted.

"Whatever." Rodney sneered. "He still distracted me. Anyways, I wouldn't get your hopes up, if I were you. One of the cities has already been found, remember?"

"Oh right, that group that used it as a royal palace." John remembered.

"And that city was mostly underground and in no shape to fly." Rodney added.

"Atlantis flies?" Kleit asked, wondering if he'd been following the conversation correctly.

"With enough power, it flies, it has a shield, and it has regenerating weapons…" Rodney's voice trailed off.

Teyla looked at John. "We need to talk to Colonel Carter."

John nodded. "We'll send teams out ASAP."

"Can't we just send our reconnaissance teams?" Kleit asked.

"We could," Teyla said, "but our teams know what they are looking at. Would your reconnaissance teams know if the city they find is functioning properly?"

"No, they wouldn't" Kleit conceded. "So what do we do know? We don't know what we'll find, so we can't plan anything yet."

"Now, we find out what our forces are." John said patiently. _Maybe Rodney and Kleit have something in common after all_, he mused. He stood and turned to Marcus. "Marcus, we need to talk to our leaders."

Marcus stopped pacing. "Yes I heard," he said without turning. "Are you all leaving?"

"John?" Hermione called. "I'd like to stay here, if I may. I won't be much help on Atlantis and… well, I might need to help Sirius."

"I'll stay with her." Ronon declared.

John nodded, facing Marcus once more. "Then I'll go with Rodney and Teyla."

Marcus moved towards him. "We shall travel the way Major Lorne did before with Levin. Maggie will take Teyla and Kleit will take Dr. McKay." He turned. "Ronon and Miss Granger may remain here with Cer- excuse me – Sirius until we return. It should not take us long." Hermione and Ronon nodded, and Maggie, Marcus, Kleit, John, Rodney, and Teyla Apparated away with a small pop.

* * *

The group reappeared to feet from the Stargate. Marcus looked at John expectantly, waiting for the usual comment about Apparation.

Instead, Rodney made a comment. "That's like 'Gate travel." Marcus shot him a surprised look.

Maggie nodded. "We think Apparation uses the same magic as the Portal."

Rodney shook his head. "No, that's not right. The Stargate isn't magic, it's technology."

"Then perhaps the Ancients got the idea from Apparation, Rodney." Teyla interrupted before an all-out intellectual fight could begin.

"As interesting as I'm sure this conversation will be, we're on a bit of a time crunch." John reminded them. With that, the group walked up the rest of the way to the 'Gate. Rodney dialed Atlantis and when the wormhole engaged, John punched his ID into the transmitter. He explained what he was doing to the Lorenians as he went. "Now, will any of you be joining us?"

Marcus glanced at Kleit, who shrugged. "I can help tactical planning as the results of our search come in."

John nodded and turned on his radio. "Atlantis, do you read?"

"_Loud and clear, Colonel." _Carter replied.

"Teyla, Rodney and I are coming home; Ronon and H-Madeline are staying. You've been made aware of our situation?"

"_Yes_," Carter confirmed.

"A Lorenian tactical advisor wants to join us." John said. "And Rodney's found something that's gonna solve a lot of problems for us, including our current one."

"_What did he find?"_ Carter asked, intrigued.

"It- takes a bit of explaining." John said.

"_Alright come on through; your 'tactical advisor' is welcome to join you."_ Carter said.

Marcus and Maggie watched as the team of four stepped through the Portal. As soon as the Portal turned off, the two Apparated back to the Prolum's office.

* * *

Marcus hoped that Certus – Sirius – would be awake by the time they returned. Marcus's hope was proven wrong as he ascended the stairwell to the second floor. "Alright. Enough is enough. We should get him to the Hospital. Perhaps the Healers will know what is going on."

"Marcus, you would cause a panic." Maggie disagreed. "Call over Healer Thornkin. He's helped before when we've needed privacy."

Marcus nodded, smiling down at his wife. "Where would I be without you, dearest?"

Maggie laughed, looking back up to him. "Right where you are, Harien."

Hermione smiled at the show of affection between the two. From her experience, that showed that the couple was becoming more comfortable with her and the members of her team. It bode well for future relations.

When Marcus had left, Maggie walked over to Hermione and Ronon. "Marcus will likely move Certus to our cabin. Once he returns we shall go there."

Hermione nodded, and a few minutes later Marcus returned with a short man trailing close behind him. The newcomer wore white robes that billowed about his sinewy frame. He looked pleasant enough, with brown hair and a grim smile. He had on plain black pants and a grey shirt underneath his robes. "Where's our patient?" The man asked as he reached the second floor.

"Here," Ronon said from where he sat with Hermione.

"This is Healer Thornkin." Marcus explained, watching the wizard examine Sirius.

Thornkin stood back from Sirius and turned to Marcus. "He seems to be in some sort of deep sleep He should be fine. Move him to a bed and wait for him to wake up. Floo me when he does."

"Thank you, Vex." Marcus said. "We shall move him to my cabin."

The Healer nodded, and Apparated away with a pop.

Ten minutes later, Sirius was settled in his room at Marcus's cabin. Hermione was poking around the numerous bookshelves in the Cabin's living room. Ronon was sitting next to Sirius's bed in a big, plush purple chair. Maggie was cooking food in the kitchen. Marcus had had to return to the Prolium office to prepare for the new work day.

In other words, the two Lorenians and the two Lanteans did something to busy themselves while they waited anxiously for Sirius to wake up from his sleep.

**A/N: So what'd you think? Interesting chapter, no?**

**To head off questions about the riddle, he didn't say "magic" because magic wouldn't have been a universal thing, while energy would've been. At least that was my reasoning :)**


	10. Flashbacks and Politics

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Thanks again to those who reviewed/added to alerts/favorited this story :)**

**For Reference:**

Normal Print

_Sirius Flashback_

~~~A Few Hours Later, Earth~~~

Percy Weasley woke from his sleep at eight. The sun shone merrily through the window, casting shadows over his wife Penelope's sleeping form. He was lucky he'd left a not for his secretary, letting the witch know he would be away on business for the day. Otherwise he'd have the entire ministry banging down his door right now.

Percy rose slowly, not wanting to wake Penelope. He tiptoed downstairs to his living room, where he left a note for his wife telling her where to find him. Percy grabbed Floo powder, threw it into the flames he started with his wand, and shouted, "The Leaky Cauldron."

* * *

Neville and Hannah Longbottom were already up and about their pub when Percy arrived. Hannah looked up from the table she was wiping down and smiled at him. "Good morning, Percy, the usual?"

Percy shook his head. "Actually, Hannah, I need to talk to you about –" he glanced at Neville. "Your previous employment with the Ministry."

Hannah frowned, not wanting her husband to discover that part of her life. She felt as if she'd left that far behind when she resigned. Percy had no right bringing that up. "What about it?" She grew frustrated when Percy glanced at Neville again. "You might as well tell him, too, and save me the trouble. It's not like he won't be able to put two and two together, anyways. He's not daft, you know." Percy raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

Neville himself was less than pleased with the Minister's body language, and the effect it was having on his wife. Since taking ownership of the pub, he learned that knowing body language helped him know what others were thinking and what they wanted to get out of their service. It was a muggle tactic, really, but it had been well worth the effort to learn. This conversation was no exception.

Percy's body language showed Neville that the Minister was on the offensive today. The ginger was standing with his legs spread apart, normally used to show dominance in a situation. His nose was held high, his hands on his hips. It appeared as if Percy was trying to make himself look as big and powerful as he could. That's what the body language said, anyways, and Neville could tell his wife didn't like it much.

Hannah had her arms crossed, a typical defensive pose. Her lips were as small as his Head of House's used to get when she got angry at them. Most worrying, though, was her eyes, which were darting around, as if searching for an escape.

Neville moved to stand next to his wife, clutching her around the waist to tell her that she had his support. He glared at Percy, his jaw clenched tightly. "What's going on?"

Hannah sighed, watching the two men in the room glare at each other. "You might as well tell him, Weasley, he's my husband and he's got a right to know."

"What is it?" Neville asked again, almost snarling. He didn't like that his wife was forced to keep secrets from him. Neville knew that Hannah had all the traditional Hufflepuff traits, so it must have been big if she was willing to keep quiet about something all this time.

"Alright, Longbottom, don't get your knickers in a twist." Percy teased shallowly, trying to dispel the tension in the room. "Your wife had a good reason for doing what she did."

"And what was that?" Neville asked again, tired of Percy's attempts to dance around the issue. "You politicians are all the same. Can't even answer a question directly."

Percy's eyes flashed. "Now see here, Longbottom –"

"Stop it! Both of you just stop it!" Hanna cried out. "That's enough. Percy, I'm telling him now, got it? No interruptions." She paused, then launched into her story.

"It was just after the war, and I was working as an Auror for the New Ministry. It wasn't that bad, really; we were mostly raiding old Death Eater houses, searching for Dark objects and such. Well, my unit was, anyways. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were leading the veteran team hunting down rogue Death Eaters.

"Minister Shacklebolt approached me about a month after the war ended. He said that there were witches and wizards all across the country who wanted out. They were too scared for their own lives to live peacefully in the post-war era. Most of them were muggleborns.

"There were others, too, who wanted protection. Family members of the Order and their allies who'd fought You- well, Voldemort in the First and Second War.

"The main Auror department was too ill-equipped to have guards all the time for these people, so they had to come up with some sort of solution. That was how the Magical Protection Program was formed.

"The MPP, as it was called, was designed to hide the identities of those within the program. Muggleborns were given a muggle history and sent to live in the muggle world. Those who lived in the Wizarding world all their lives got a new identity and changed their appearance. They were sent to other countries – the States, primarily – so it would be harder to track them down.

"Each protectee was assigned an MPP Auror. That Auror was responsible for the protectee, making sure the protectee was well-hidden, always on-call if something big came up."

Hannah looked at Neville. "I left the program when you proposed. We were sworn to absolute secrecy – the lives of both the MPP protectees and the MPP agents depended on it. They still do," she added pointedly.

Neville's face turned back to a normal color as his expression softened. "You'd told me before that you couldn't talk about your Auror duties. I understood that. Still do." He turned to Percy. "Now, Weasley, why are you bringing all this up again?"

Percy sighed. "I need to know the whereabouts of one of Hannah's old protectees. You probably won't like it, Neville, I'm warning you now."

"Who?" Hannah asked, though she had a feeling what the answer was going to be.

"Hermione Granger. I need to speak with Hermione Granger." Percy declared. "I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important." Hannah winced, not daring to look at Neville. She knew he wouldn't be happy with him about this.

Neville fought to control his emotions, after seeing Hannah tense in response to Percy's declaration. She needed his support right now, not his chastisement. "You knew where she was?" He asked her as calmly as he could manage.

"Y-yes. I still do, sort of." Hannah sighed. "You know I would have told you if-"

"Shh, Sweet One," Neville silenced her. "I know." That was all he needed to say, and all she needed to hear. He wasn't mad at her; he knew how loyal she was, that if she was given a secret to hold she would keep it to her dying day. He couldn't – wouldn't – ask her to go against her nature. He turned back to Percy, who had been watching the exchange with a soft smile. "Weasley, what is all this about? Why are you looking for Hermione now?"

Percy sighed. "Harry asked for a favor. After what he's done for us, I'm willing to do pretty much anything he needs."

Neville nodded, understanding entirely. "How we help?"

Hannah rolled her eyes at her husband. Though the man's brilliance had shown itself since he graduated Hogwarts, he still had relapses into the boy she'd known during their school days. "Neville, he's already told us how we can help." She turned to Percy. "Hermione Granger is living as the British Diplomat Dr. Madeline Marshall. I've been following her alias' activities since I left MPP, just in case anything came up."

"Where can I get in touch with her?" Percy questioned.

Hannah shrugged. "Dr. Marshall's been assigned to the British Embassy in America. You could call there, talk to the American President, or contact her boss, the Muggle Prime Minister. Either way will end up getting you to her eventually."

Percy nodded once. "I'll best be going. Lots of work to do today. Thank you for your time, Hannah; Neville." With that, he transfigured his robes into muggle clothing and stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron and onto the busy street of muggle London.

* * *

_Sirius sat silently, listening to the fantastic tale Gryffindor was telling him. Aliens existed? And witches and wizards are descended from a race that built interplanetary Apparation devices called Stargates? It was all too much for him. Sirius just wanted to go home. He wanted to find Harry, to hold his godson. He didn't want to save some alien planet he could care less about._

_Godric stopped talking, searching Sirius's face. "You need to see the enemies you are to face." He held out his hand. "Come. I will show you first the Wraith, then the Achnids. The worst for last, you may say."_

_Sirius hesitated before taking Godric's hand. The bright light enveloped him again, and Sirius was no longer in the diner._

_Instead, they were standing in a great, green field. A river, crystal blue and sparkling in the setting sun, lay ten feet away. A small boy with bright red hair sat on a bridge that stretched across the river. He was strong, physically fit. The lad looked like he was no more than twelve years old. His wand was clutched in a hand that dangled slightly over the edge of the bridge._

_Godric walked towards the boy, beckoning for Sirius to follow. When they stood next to the boy, Godric explained, "This was me, a thousand years ago, in my youth. I lived here on Lorena for many years after this day, but I left with Merlin and his people when they moved to Earth. This was the last day of my childhood."_

_Before Sirius could ask what the Founder was talking about, a loud screeching noise echoed through the field. Sirius looked up, searching for the noise's source. There- headed towards them from the left was what looked like a muggle aircraft. It sped past them._

_Yung Godric sprung up and dashed across the bridge. As Sirius and Old Godric followed him, the boy was running towards a cottage twenty feet away. His wand was clenched tightly in his firm little hand._

_A flash of light from the aircraft and a figure approached before the door of the cottage before them. It opened the door, which closed behind it just as Young Godric reached the little building. The boy pulled the door open and sped inside, leaving the door to swing on its hinges._

_Sirius could see the figure better, now that he was inside the cottage with both Godrics. It was tall, dressed in flowing black jackets. Its skin was grey; its hair a silvery white that put Lucius Malfoy to shame. Now that he thought about it, the figure looked like a cross between Malfoy and Snape – not a pleasant combination at all._

_The being turned to face Young Godric, revealing two figures kneeling before him. Its face was horrid, with yellow eyes that twinklied with morbid delight._

"_This is a Wraith." Old Godric said, the venom seeping from his voice. It was then that Sirius understood what he was watching – the two figures before the Wraith were Godric's parents._

_The Wraith turned back to Godric's parents without a word to the boy. Young Godric watched in horror as the alien set his stirring father on his knees, ripping the man's clothing to expose his chest. "Your family, human, is quite intriguing. So young; so full of life. It will make for a hearty meal."_

"_Meal?" Sirius questioned. Older Godric's examination of the ground was enough to quell Sirius' inquisition. _

_The father just glared at the Wraith, who laughed. "I should have known you, Broderick Griffindor, would not satisfy me with last words. Your brother begged for his life." He shrugged, then pressed his hand against the man's chest. "This is much more satisfying."_

_Sirius looked on as Broderick's face grew wrinkles, as the man looked to his son. Broderick's last words, spoken in between screams of pain, were "run, Godric. Now is not your time for battle." The man was now a corpse, sucked dry like a raisin in the sun. He crumpled and fell. Young Godrick turned and ran from the cottage, not daring to look behind him._

_A bright light later, and they were in front of the same cottage. Now, though, a blonde boy of fifteen sat next to the building reading a book._

_"This is Marcus Ventrius. He will become the leader of Lorena in twelve years' time." Godric grinned sheepishly. "He is also a distant cousin of yours."_

_Sirius looked at Godric, but before he could say anything a loud crack echoed through the air. Sirius knew that sound – someone had just Apparated into the area._

_Sirius finally noticed the new arrival swiftly crossing the bridge. The figure was tall, and like most wizards it wore a long black cloak. Instead of a wand, it carried a staff nearly as high as the figure itself. Fastened on top of the staff was a sapphire gem. His staff was jet black, just like his hair._

"_That is an Achnid War Mage. He specializes in water magic, from his staff's gem." Godric commented._

_Sure enough, the Mage stopped right beside the river. He started speaking in a strange tongue; his staff gem glowed. The river water behind him rose quickly, billowing forth from its bed. The waters surged onward – now it was a mere five feet from the cottage. The river water layered on top of itself until it was as high as Sirius's waist. The War Mage grinned evilly, thrusting his hand forward forcefully._

_

* * *

_

~~~~~Earth, Present Time, London, England~~~~~

The muggle Prime Minister was having a perfectly normal day. He'd met with the Department of Transportation to request highway repairs already. He was just sitting down to his breakfast (a biscuit with boiled eggs) when his office door opened and a red-haired man walked towards him.

The Prime Minister inwardly groaned, for the ginger before him rarely met with him. In fact, Percy Weasley only met with him once a year, to discuss the happenings of his people.

Percy Weasley's people were a strange lot. They preferred to hide their existence from the normal British population, living separately in absolute secrecy.

There were certain things that the Prime Minister had learned about since taking office that he would never have believed possible before he took office. How Weasley's people lived the way they did – indeed, _what_ his people were – was one of those things. Percy Weasley was the Minister of Magic: the leader of Britain's magical population.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast, sir." Percy said cheerily as he strode up to the Minister's desk. "I need to ask a favor."

"A favor, you say?" The Prime Minister questioned, shocked. Weasley's people hardly ever needed favors from him.

"Yes. I have told you about Harry Potter, have I not?" Percy asked.

The prime Minister remembered the name. Potter, along with his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, defeated the Dark wizard known as Voldemort ten years ago. They effectively ended a civil war, saving the lives of wizards and non-magic folk alike. "Yes, you did. I assume the favor is for him, then? What can we do for the lad?"

"Potter's friend Hermione went 'missing' not too long after the war," Percy began. "Harry now wishes to find her."

"How may I help?" The Minister asked.

"Well, Hermione never really went missing. She went into hiding." Percy said. "We wanted to protect her from the rogue Death Eaters that killed my brother in an attack on their safe house in Yorkshire.

"The idea came from one of our Aurors, whose cousin lives in America. They apparently have a program there called Witness Protection."

The Minister nodded. "I've heard of it."

"That's what we did here, and with a few others."

The Minister frowned. "I still don't see how I can help."

"Well, we know that Hermione graduated from the Uni extremely early with two… er… _doctorates_, I believe you call them. She began working here as a diplomat." Percy explained.

The Minister understood, letting silence ring in that understanding. "You mean to say that Madeline Marsahll is really…"

Percy smiled sadly. "Yes. Madeline Marshall's true name is Hermione Granger."

The Minister paled. "I'm sorry. She just left for an important mission two weeks ago. There's no way to contact her."

Percy frowned. "Why not? Where is she?"

"I'm afraid – well, you see, it's classified." The Minister stumbled, not wanting to anger the Minister of Magic. "It's international, too, so it's out of my hands."

Percy's face fell. "Can we get a message to her, at the very least?"

The Minister thought. "You know, there might be a way. Would you be willing to meet with the leaders of the project?"

Percy hesitated. He knew how politicians could be, and how the muggle ones would entice him to get under their thumb. "Er…"

"If I promised that they would explain the project first," The Minister reasoned, "before you are asked to work on it? You'd have to agree not to disclose the information discussed, of course, but it could be very beneficial for all involved."

Percy nodded slowly. "That seems reasonable. Will they be able to meet tomorrow?"

The Minister grinned. "For something like this? I'm sure of it. I'll contact General O'Neill right away – from what I've read, the military may be better suited for this situation than the beurocrats who recruited us. O'Neill has proved his loyalty to those he calls friends time and time again, disobeying direct orders in the process. He may be more willing to keep your secret than others."

Percy smiled, glad someone understood his hesitation. "Thank you, Minister."

The Prime Minister shook his head. "No, my boy, call me Eric. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on."

**A/N: Done! See you all in two weeks!**


	11. Exploration and Interruptions

_~~~Atlantis, Present Time~~~_

"Well, it looks stable enough." Rodney said, watching the projection from the MALP's video camera. The MALP was exploring the second city on the list he'd found in Merlin's library. The first one had been lost – it seemed that _that_ city had caved in somehow. It was amazing the wormhole had even engaged itself.

Now they were looking at the city on P3X-2938. Rodney sat at a console in the control room, watching the readings on a laptop as they came in. John, Teyla, and Kleit stood behind him, but they watched the video feed on the main screen with Carter.

The city appeared intact. If anything, it seemed much like Atlantis did when the expedition team first arrived. It was called Safehaven; or, at least, that's what the city's name in Ancient meant. According to Rodney's book, it was on a planet in the outskirts of the Pegasus Galaxy, opposite from the Milky Way Galaxy and Earth. Thanks to that, it was well hidden from the Wraith, which was why it would live up to its name quite nicely.

John looked at Carter, struck again by the stark differences between the colonel and Elizabeth. Carter was watching the screen, obviously assessing the new city's tactical advantage. In their current situation, Elizabeth would be blabbering about the potential "wealth of knowledge" the city could contain. She'd only watch the screen long enough to ascertain the city's stabilities before practically shoving John's team through the Stargate. Carter always waited until she could se that his team wouldn't be in any immediate danger.

Deciding that it was safe enough to send a team through, Carter finally looked towards John. "You have a go. Dial back once you've explored some."

John nodded, eager to leave. "Will do." He motioned for his team and Kleit to follow him to the Stargate.

Five minutes later, the team was in Safehaven's 'gateroom. Just as they did on Atlantis, Safehaven's lights flickered on in response to John's Ancient gene.

The room before them was exactly like Atlantis' was when they'd first arrived. After checking the room for hostiles, John trotted up the steps to the control room. He blinked, surprised when he saw the room just as intact as it was on Atlantis. He admonished himself; it shouldn't have been surprising at all, seeing the rest of the room's condition first. "All clear," he called to his team.

"John, you need to see this." Teyla called back. He followed her voice to where she stood beside a large window nearby.

John's jaw dropped. He'd expected the city to be on water, like Atlantis was. He was wrong. "Wow."

"Safehaven sat in the middle of a large grassy field. The grass seemed like what he'd find in Africa on a safari. The plains were speckled with sparse trees and a lake glistening in the distance. Strange animals slurped from the lake's water.

_Our zoologists will have a field day_, John thought. One set off animals looked like a cross between a cheetah and a jaguar. These cats had the muscles of the jaguar and the legs of the cheetah. John watched as the incredible creatures darted across the field, hunting the antelope/zebra creatures grazing around them. The creatures' black coat streaked with their orange spots, blending together in a blur of strength and speed.

"John!" Rodney called excitedly from a control console. "Look at this!"

"What?" He asked without turning from the window's view of the field.

"Safehaven's shields are intact."

That got John's attention. "_What?"_ He said as he moved towards Rodney.

"Bringing up a power diagnostic…" Rodney mumbled, punching buttons on the console. His jaw dropped.

"What is it?" Kleit asked from Rodney's left. John was standing behind the scientist, and Teyla had moved to the man's right.

John squinted, not sure if he was reading the screen right. "No way."

"John?" Teyla questioned. She still couldn't make any sense of the readings her co-workers used on their computers.

The military commander turned to her. "Safehaven has a store of ZPM's, beside the ones already in use."

Teyla's eyes grew. "How many are there?"

"Ten." Rodney answered definitively. "Ten fully powered ZedPM's."

"Just ten?" Kleit asked. "You're getting excited over ten?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "We've only found a handful in five years, and most of those were either in use or partially depleted."

Kleit seemed slightly less confused. "But then how are the shields still working? What's powering them?"

"Three ZedPM's, all of which are halfway gone. They'll last for a little while before depleting themselves completely." Rodney asked. "We can minimize the effect by stretching the power further."

John nodded. "Run a full diagnostic. See what condition this place is in. Teyla, stay with him. Kleit come with me. We'll be visiting the hologram if you need us."

"Keep your radio on, Sheppard." Rodney called after him.

John rolled his eyes, dragging Kleit to the transport with him.

Not long after, John and Kleit had reached Safehaven's hologram. John stepped up to the podium and powered up the machine. A man of five feet with long red hair appeared before him. "Greetings, I am Loren. Ask your question."

"What happened here? Why did the Alterrans leave Safehaven?" John asked.

The man seemed to pause before answering. "One question at a time, please."

John counted to five in his head. "Why. Did. The. Alterrans. Leave. Safehaven."

"The Alterrans of Safehaven left when the Alterrans of Northtower fell to the Wraith." Loren replied.

"Northtower?" John asked.

Loren brought up a star map. "Northtower lies even further north than Safehaven. The city fell a thousand years after the Alterrans of Atlantis fled to Earth."

Recognizing Northtower's position in the stars as the planet they'd first visited from the list, John continued. "Where did the Alterrans of Safehaven go?"

"The Alterrans of Safehaven moved to Earth, like the Alterrans of Atlantis." Loren answered.

"Did any Alterrans remain in the Pegasus Galaxy after they left?" John questioned.

"Those of Icetower remained for another hundred years before they, too, moved to Earth." Loren responded. The last city's position was displayed on the star map. "Icetower could not sustain itself long after their bretheren left the galaxy. Its people had traded with the other four cities heavily for food and water, serving their bretheren as an armory and a space dock."

"Space dock?" John asked. That sounded promising.

"As shown in the map, Icetower is situated at the center of the Pegasus Galaxy, a strategic placement for a space dock."

"What of the fourth city?" John asked, though he already knew the answer.

"The fourth city was abandoned a hundred years before the Alterrans of Atlantis left the Pegasus Galaxy. It was deemed too dangerous for continued use."

"Why?" John asked.

"The Wraith had discovered its location." Loren answered. "The city was in constant danger of attack."

"Why didn't they just move it? You said the city could fly." Kleit asked.

"It'd defeat the purpose of having a space dock in the center of the galaxy." John answered before stepping down from the podium, causing the hologram to disappear. "Ok, I think we've learned what we need from this. Rodney's team can come in later if they want."

"So what exactly _was_ that? Not even magic can replicate a human being that accurately." Kleit asked.

"That was a hologram, it's a computer-generated image of (in this case) a person, probably one of the Ancients that used to live here in Safehaven." John answered. "There's one of these on Atlantis." John stopped. "Hold on. Rodney?" He asked into his radio.

"_Yeah, Sheppard."_ Rodney answered.

"Did you get a power reading from the hologram's room just now?" John asked, suspicious.

"_Yeah. Looks like it's a true hologram this time."_ Rodney said.

"Great. We're headed back your way. Dial Atlantis and tell them what we've found. Sheppard out." John said.

"What was that about?" Kleit asked, overhearing the conversation on his radio.

"Atlantis's hologram was actually an ascended Ancient, wanting to have some influence with what's going on out here." John said.

Kleit frowned. "Why don't they just use their 'influence' normally?"

"Something about rules and regulations." John shrugged. "I've never had much use for them myself. C'mon, we're probably going to have to go back to Atlantis." With that, the two marched up to the nearest teleporter and returned to the control room.

_Sirius watched as the mage's arm motion was put into effect. The water built itself into a humongous tidal wave, and surged forward until it covered the entire cottage. Sirius's gaze shot back to Marcus, who stood to his left._

_Marcus hastily murmered a Latin phrase and arched his wand arm from front to back. A shield appeared over his home just before the tidal wave came crashing down._

_Sirius gaped. No mere child should have that much magical power; no Earth child did, at least. It was incredible to watch the boy's wards fluctuate with the power of the magical waves, but it was even more incredible to watch them hold against the onslaught of water attacking them. Soon the waves dissipated, leaving Marcus and his cottage still standing._

_Marcus gave a haughty smirk to the mage. "Achnid, you have angered the Lord Ventrius and attacked his home. Leave now and know that if you or any of your kind ever returns to Lorena they will suffer a slow and painful death. Warn your leaders. I will not bow to their demands."_

_The mage was, naturally, stunned, and Apparated away without a word to the young Lord._

_The vision faded into a blinding white light_.

* * *

_Earth, Washington DC, Present Time_

"Uh, General?" An Airman poked his head into the office.

General Jack O'Neill had his feet up on his expensive Pentagon desk. He lounged back in his expensive leather chair, his hands crossed behind his head. The only answer the Airman in the room got was a loud snore.

"General!" the Airman shouted.

"Huh?" Jack opened his eyes. "Oh for cryin' out loud! I was dreaming about… well, never mind; that's not important. Why the heck did you wake me from my dream, Airman?"

"Sorry sir. You've got a phone call from the British Prime Minister." Came the reply.

"What's it about?" Jack questioned, trying to gauge its importance. He'd been having a _really_ good dream. He'd gotten the chance to chain Ba'al up to a wall and kick his family jewels _repeatedly_. And he hadn't been reprimanded for it, either.

The Airman raised his eyebrow with a smile. "Sir? It's the _British. Prime. Minister_."

"Ok, I get it. I'm up." _Much as I don't want to be…_ The Airman left the room and Jack picked up the phone. "O'Neill, two L's."

"_Good morning –er, evening, to you, I suppose – General. I'm Prime Minister Eric McCormick." _The voice on the other line answered with a purely British accent.

Jack stifled a yawn. "With all do respect, sir, can we cut to the chase? It's nearing midnight here." _And I'm still in my office. Again. Why'd I take this stinking promotion?_

"_Certainly, my good fellow! I know a group of people who are interested in the project at Cheyenne Mountain. I didn't leak anything – just that their, er, special talents may provide use in the future."_ The Minister paused. _"They wish to meet with you tomorrow morning – our time – in my office_."

Jack thought. He could bring Major Davies. And he'd have to tell the President what was going on. "Does this group's leader have a name?"

"_Percy Weasley, a member of one of Britain's oldest families."_ The Minister answered.

_Another Brit. Peachy_. "I'll be bringing a few consultants, and telling my President what's going on."

The Minister hesitated. _"Do you trust them?"_

_What kind of question is that?_ "With my life." Jack answered, for it was mostly true; Davies had proven trustworthy, and Jackson was practically family.

"_This group is rather secretive; I never knew about them until I became Minister. They will prove valuable allies, though, should you accept their aid and their conditions."_

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Conditions?" _Oh, boy, Danny's gonna love this_.

"_You'll find out more tomorrow morning._" The Minister replied. The line went dead.

Jack called in the Airman again. "Ok, buddy, get Cheyenne Mountain on the horn and have them warn Daniel that he's going to be coming with me to England tomorrow night. Tell them to tell him whatever doohickey he's examining can wait."

The Airman smiled. "Yes, sir." He saluted.

"And Airman?" Jack called. The man paused in the doorway, turning to face his CO. "Don't call me 'sir'."

"Yes, sir." The Airman turned on his heel and walked sharply out the door.

**A/N: I know it's short. Forgive me; I'm graduating, and quite busy at the moment, so you'll have to wait until next time for a longer update.**

**Thank you for those who've reviewed/alerted during the last two weeks, and please review/alert in the coming weeks. Really, I do actually **_**like**_** constructive criticism. I don't know to fix my writing if no one says anything.**


	12. Awakening

**A/N: Ok, so I know I promised you a longer update. Consider it a compromise: I'm giving you an earlier update, so it's going to be a little shorter this time. I'll resume my normal Sunday updates after this. If you must know, life has gotten in the way this weekend and I don't want to leave you all hanging.**

"_Now do you see, Sirius Black?"_

_The voice spoke clearly into his ear. It was Godric again, Sirius knew._

"_The Wraith are a problem." Sirius conceded. "I still don't see the danger of the Achnids. It seems Marcus can protect Lorena well enough on his own."_

_Sirius was enveloped in the white light he knew was Godric Gryffindor. It surrounded him, penetrated his inner mind. He could feel it in his very bones; he could feel it running through his blood veins. Nothing had ever felt as intimate as this. _

_He could feel it when Godric laughed. "My dear boy, you do not understand. That was one Achnid mage, and a pretty mediocre one at that. There are thousands more where he came from, and hundreds more powerful than the one Marcus defeated. Not all of them are Water Mages, either. The Achnid Magi are formidable forces, especially when combined. Imagine facing armies whose soldiers are able to command the elements! Imagine Death Eaters leveling houses with a breath of fire, an uprising of trees, or a major earthquake. Do you really think one man can stop a force of five thousand Achnid War Mages?" Godric paused, letting what he'd said sink in._

"_Many years from now, the Achnid Magi will partner with the Wraith. Then, the Achnid Magi will not only be able to control the elements, but life and death itself."_

_Sirius frowned. "What do you mean, control life and death? Only in legend is that possible."  
_

"_On Earth, perhaps." Godric allowed. "But not in the Pegasus Galaxy. The Wraith can give life just as easily as they can take it. Those who partner with them have access to an elixir of sorts, as long as the Wraith allow it."_

"_So they can't actually… bring someone back… can they?" Sirius questioned._

"_No, thank Merlin." Godric said, with relief. "Can you imagine? The Wraith would feed on a host until he died, then resurrect him and start the process all over again." Sirius shuddered. No, that was not a pretty picture at all._

"_So, Sirius Black, I ask you again: now do you see? Now do you see why you're needed?" _

_Sirius thought. He could see why those forces needed to be stopped. He could see why they were the root of all evil; well, save Voldemort. But, try as he might, he couldn't see why he was the only one who could stop him. _

_"I see in your heart you still don't understand why it must be you. With time, you will." Godric said._

_Sirius sighed. "If I do this, will I be sent back to Earth?"_

_He could feel Godric smile sadly. "It shall be an option, if you wish. You are going to be in contact with Earth, after all. Eventually."_

"_Eventually? How long will I be on Lorena?"_

_"Thirteen years, at lest. Thirteen years until you meet other Brotherworlders." Godric answered._

_Thirteen years. Harry could die by then. Everyone he knew, everyone he cared about could die. Thirteen years. Another isolation._

"_Your godson will survive; Merlin has seen it."_

_Sirius looked up. Harry would survive. He'd marry – hopefully that Weasley girl, if all went well. He'd have kids, raise a family. He'd live. He'd defeat Voldemort. Harry would survive without his support. _

_If Merlin and Godric were right, Lorena wouldn't survive without Sirius's support. Lorena would fall. Lorena's people, their heritage, their culture, their magic, would be destroyed. How he could possibly stop that from happening, Sirius had no idea. He did know one thing: the Gryffindor inside him wanted to Protect. _

_He felt Godric smile. "Now you see." It wasn't a question. "It's in your blood, for it's in my blood."_

_And indeed, Sirius did see. He could feel his magic inside him trying desparately to burst out of its shell. It wanted nothing more than to Protect. It was a raging fire – a raging fire that attacked only the unjust, the unworthy, the evil, the monsters. He could feel the raging fire roaring inside of him, and now he could see why the prophecy had called him the Black Lion. It wasn't because he was a Gryffindor, though that was part of it. It was because he was like a lion, fiercely brave and fiercely protective of his Pride, his family. It was amazing, but he already considered the Lorenians a part of that Pride that he protected so dearly. _

_That was probably part of why his Animagus was a dog, come to think of it. He'd always been extremely loyal to his friends, and if anyone had ever tried to hurt one of them, they were often in a world of hurt themselves. Dogs were just as loyal to their owners, and they would go through Hell and back to protect their family. Just like a lion would, just like Sirius Black would._

_Thirteen years. A long time. Sirius would be in for quite the ride, if he accepted. Still, this world was supposed to be more of a home for him than Earth ever was. It certainly was a beautiful little world. And he would have the chance to go back to Earth, if he wanted, at the end of that time. _

_At long last, Sirius spoke. "Lorena needs me. I will go."_

_He felt Godric smile. "Good luck, Sirius Black."_

_The next thing Sirius knew, he was naked in a clearing on a planet in a galaxy far, far away._

_

* * *

_

~~~ Lorena, Present Time ~~~

Sirius stirred, waking slowly from his sleep. He felt the turquoise blankets over his body and knew he was in the "cottage" Marcus's family had owned for generations. Sirius sighed and opened his eyes as he sat up in his bed.

Sirius heard a snore. He smiled, watching Hermione as she slept in a chair nearby. She began to stir, waking just as slowly as he had. "Hey." She said when she opened her eyes. "What just happened?"

"My memories got the better of me." Sirius answered. "How long was I out?"

Hermione shrugged from her chair. "Half a day. It's about noon on Lorena."

Sirius glanced around. "Where is everyone?"

"Maggie and Marcus took Ronon to lunch in town. John, Teyla, Rodney, and Kleit left Lorena last night." Hermione said.

"Why'd they leave?" Sirius asked.

"Rodney found references to four other Ancient cities, so they went to organize a search." Hermione explained. "He was right jittery at the thought. Imagine – four other cities like Atlantis! It boggles the mind!"

Sirius smiled. "Does it really?"

"You haven't seen Atlantis yet." Hermione accused. "Atlantis is incredible; it's like the muggle version of Hogwarts."

Sirius's eyebrow perked. "Seriously?"

Hermione gave him an _'act your age'_ look. "Yes. Most of it's so far advanced that even the experts don't know what it is. Half of what we can figure out we either can't use or can't control. And we haven't even finished exploring the place yet."

Sirius looked mildly impressed at that. "Why not?"

"Well, parts of the city are still flooded, but mostly it's because we don't have the power." Hermione expanded.

Sirius frowned. "Still flooded?"

"You've heard the story of Atlantis, right?" She asked. Sirius nodded. "It really happened, just in another galaxy."

Sirius blinked. "So Plato's Atlantis is…"

"The city I'm living in now, yes." Hermione confirmed. "Now you see, don't you?"

Sirius shuddered at the familiarity of her words. He didn't think he'd ever like that phrase again. _Now you see_. She was looking at him worriedly. "Sirius?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing. That phrase reminded me of something."

"What?" Hermione met his eyes.

Sirius hesitated. "That's a very long story. Can it wait until the others are back?"

Hermione searched him for awhile, before deciding that she'd get her answers soon enough. "Alright."

"Let's talk about other things. Like how Harry's doing." Sirius said. He was eager to learn about his godson's life.

Hermione smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I really don't know. I haven't talked to him at all in ten years. You know that."

"Right. Blimey." Sirius said, cursing himself. Of course! She'd been living in the muggle world all this time. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay." Hermione contradicted. "It's natural that you're curious." Hermione sighed.

Sirius floundered for another topic. He'd never really gotten to know Hermione that well. "Are you settling in at Atlantis alright?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I am. The team's been great, especially Ronon." She blushed.

Ah, so maybe there was something there after all. "You and Ronon, then?"

Her mouth dropped, but the sound of three people Apparating into the living room stopped her from denying anything. Maggie, Marcus, and Ronon were back.

"Hermione?" Ronon asked. She'd moved from where they'd left her in the living room.

"In here, Ronon." Hermione called. "Sirius is awake."

That got the three into the room faster than a speeding bullet. Well, it got Marcus and Maggie into the room faster than a speeding bullet. Ronon just walked in like normal, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Finally decided to wake up, did you?" Marcus asked. "You're a right slorath."

Sirius glared. "How many times do I have to tell you that I need my beauty rest before I get it through that thick skull of yours? A Bernien has to look positively dashing if he's to save the day AND get the girl."

"Slorath?" Hermione questioned. She'd heard Sirius's humor often enough that his retort wasn't much of a surprise.

"It's an animal like a sloth, Hermione." Sirius answered. "It sleeps most of the day."

"We're happy you're alright, Certus." Maggie said, slipping on Sirius's name. She frowned. "Can we still call you Certus?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't mind at all. It's a nicer name than a few I've had in the past."

Marcus's eyebrows rose. "So you remember, then?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes, Marcus. I remember everything…"

* * *

~~~ Icetower ~~~

John guided the Icetower puddle jumper up from the city's jumper bay. It was the first chance in two hours he'd been able to take the ship out. From the moment they'd arrived, Icetower had been attacked by a terrible snowstorm. Luckily the city's shields were intact.

The bubble protected Icetower from the brunt of the storm.

Icetower was aptly named. The planet they were on was a giant snowball. It was constantly stormy, with frigid winds reaching over two hundred miles an hour in the air, and a hundred miles an hour on the ground level. Icetower sat in a valley created by tow very large glaciers. The glaciers were separated by a long rock wall.

Physically, the architecture of the city looked exactly like Atlantis and Safehaven, with one major difference. Icetower was built of some strange alloy they'd never seen before. The alloy, probably created specifically for the city's environment, gave the city a purplish tint. Rodney said that Icetower's walls were stronger than anything they had back on Earth, even the titanium walls they used at the SGC and in nuclear missile bunkers.

Icetower was a bit of an enigma. The city was fully powered, shield and all, but its ZPM's should be completely depleted. Exactly how the city was still powered was a question left unanswered by its database. John suspected that the city used something like Atlantis's lighting rods, a power source specifically designed for the city's environment.

That was why John was in the 'jumper. He was trying to see if there was anything outside that could be charging Icetower. If there was, he was supposed to determine if the charging device could be used on Atlantis and Safehaven. He wasn't having any luck, though. Icetower looked just like Atlantis and Safehaven from the outside, except for its purple tint.

He could see the energy fluctuations of the city's shield. John counted himself lucky that he was still inside the shield. He wasn't sure if the 'jumper would work in -100 degree Fahrenheit weather – the temperature outside the shield. The shield kept the temperature down two – 40, perfectly bearable for the 'jumper.

The high winds of the storm, which had persisted even after the snow stopped, were now disappearing. John could see past the shield for the first time since they'd arrived. The winds had picked up the newly layered snow, so even though it wasn't snowing, there was still too much snow around to see anything. Soon the winds stopped altogether.

"What the…" John watched in amazement as the shield started to shrink. As far as he knew, it only had one size. Still, the shield shrank. John raced to get to the 'jumper bay on the control tower before the shield passed through the ship, but it was too quick. The energy passed through the little 'jumper.

The ship short circuited, but not before John could get it to avoid hitting Icetower. He crashed nearly a full football field away from the city.

**A/N: I know, I'm evil. Be sure to tune in next time!**


	13. The Heads of the DMR and the DMS

Inside Icetower the lights flickered off for a split second before turning themselves back on. Teyla seemed to be the only one who noticed. "What was that?" She asked.

"What was what?" Rodney returned without looking up from his computer.

"The lights flickered." Teyla responded.

Rodney sighed. "Lights only flicker off when their power source is cut. The power's been on the entire time." A beep came from his computer, making Rodney swear.

"What?" Teyla peered at the screen, though she didn't understand half of what was displayed.

"The power cut off for half a second.' He punched some keys. "Looks like the shield's out, too."

"But wouldn't the power have an effect on your computer?" Kleit asked, still not fully grasping technology. "Isn't your machine hooked up to the Icetower's machine?"

"Yes, it is, but my machine has a portable power source." Rodney explained, but Kleit was still perplexed. "It means that it can power itself even without being hooked up to a main system. I'm sure you have items you can charge with magical power. It's the same concept, except that this power runs a machine, too."

Kleit nodded his understanding. He knew that certain gemstones could be used as a reserved power source for a witch or wizard on a long magical journey or during battles. He, himself, carried two such gemstones with him constantly. One never knew when one would face a battle too difficult to endure on one's own. "Is Sheppard back yet? Would these power shortages have an effect on his ship?"

Rodney paled slightly. "It might, if he was in the way of the shield when it went down."

"How would that hurt the ship?" Kleit questioned. The shield would just turn off in its spot, wouldn't it? If the shield was already visible, as he well knew it was, Sheppard wouldn't have tried to go into it. Therefore, he would have been able to steer clear of any danger.

"The shield doesn't just disappear when it turns off." Rodney explained, as if reading Kleit's mind. "The Icetower shield shrinks back into the city, for some reason. Atlantis's shield just shrinks back into the ground. We'll probably need to see what the difference is later on. Right now, our main problem is that if John wasn't able to steer clear of the shield in time to escape its path, the shield's energy may very well have short circuited the ship's systems. If I can get onto the 'jumper, I can probably fix the damage that's been made, but it's too complicated to explain over the radio. Speaking of which…" Rodney tapped his radio. "Sheppard, it's McKay, are you getting this?"

No response came from the other end. "Sheppard, please respond."

Still no answer. Rodney and Teyla shared a look, to the confusion of Kleit. Kleit thought that Sheppard probably was too busy flying the ship to respond. He wasn't all that convinced that the shield could have any sort of effect on the ship.

"Damn it, John, answer me!" Rodney shouted into the receiver. They waited breathlessly for a response.

Three hundred yards from the city, a certain Lt. Colonel was slowly wakening from his knock-out. He was strewn across the far back wall of the 'jumper, back arched against its door. His legs were sprawled in odd directions. John groaned and sat up gradually, wincing at the ache in his body. Opening his eyes, he saw how far he'd flown backwards and immediately understood why he was in so much pain.

"_Damn it, John, answer me!"_ Rodney McKay shouted at him over the radio, making him wince again. Rodney must have forgotten the radio was still on, because he was answering the questions of (presumably) Kleit and Teyla. _"He normally answers right away, that's why._" A pause. "_I don't know maybe the radio's down?"_ The question was sarcastic. Another pause. _"How the hell should I know what caused the radio problems? John's the one in the stupid ship."_

John rolled his eyes and tapped his radio. "Breathe, McKay, and stop yelling at whoever you're yelling at."

"_What the hell's going on out there, John?"_ McKay practically shouted at him.

"Rodney, what'd I just ask you to do?" John said.

"_I'm not yelling at them anymore, am I?" _Rodney said stiffly. _"Answer the damn question, John."_

"The 'jumper got hit by the shield when it went down. I'm pretty far from the city, by the looks of things." John couldn't see the city through the front window, but he didn't really want to force himself up to peer out the back window.

He could hear Rodney pushing buttons on his computer. _"The sensor shows that you're three hundred yards from At- uh, Icetower."_

"That's probably about right." John agreed, ignoring the slip of nearly calling Icetower Atlantis. "I can't even see Icetower from here."

"_Stay where you are, John, I'll come to you. Shut yourself in the forward compartment so you don't get blasted by the weather outside when I come onto the ship."_

John winced, but he understood what Rodney was saying. He turned himself around and crawled into the forward compartment, then hoisted himself up into his usual spot. After punching a few buttons, the door was closed. "It's done, Rodney. Sheppard out."

* * *

_The Prime Minister's Office, London, England, Earth_

It was nearly time for Eric Wittacre, the muggle Prime Minister of England, to meet with the representatives of two decidedly secretive groups. That was just about the only thing the groups held in common, aside from the fact that they had the means to turn the world on its head if they chose.

Eric mulled over the groups, trying to remember everything he could about them. The first group was American, mostly military, and dealt primarily with exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy using ancient, alien technology. The second group was British, mostly civilian, and dealt primarily with waving wands, conjuring objects with said wands, and brewing potions in large pewter cauldrons. Each group had put the rest of the world in danger, and each group could possibly benefit from being made aware of the other.

It was incredible to Eric that the two groups had even agreed to meet with one another. The first group was top-secret, the second practically the same. Neither group trusted easily, so Eric had to wonder who would inform the other of their secretive activities first. To his knowledge, only Eric himself knew of the existence of said groups, and the possible benefits they had to offer one another.

Eric's musings were interrupted by a knock from the door. "Come in," he called as he always did. Into the room strode Percy Weasley and a tall, messy-haired man who seemed to be in his twenties. They both were wearing black business suits. "Ah, hello, Percy, I'm glad you could make it."

"Certainly, Eric." Percy said. "This is Harry Potter, the Head of the Auror Department at the Ministry."

Eric looked at the messy-haired man with new respect. "It's an honor, Mr. Potter. Eric Wittacre, Prime Minister of Britain."

Harry shook his head. "The honor's mine, sir. If I may, who are we meeting?"

Eric smiled. "That I can't tell you. They'd have my head if I did, and you wouldn't believe me anyways. All I can say is that they're American and that they've probably saved the world more times than anyone cares to count. It is their project, their military base that your friend is working on. I hope they're putting her diplomacy skills to good use."

Harry glanced at Percy. "Can we at least know their names and their ranks?"

"General Jack O'Neill, US Air Force. Two L's," a voice sounded from the doorway. The man who spoke was about five-six, with graying brown hair, blue eyes, and a lopsided grin that reminded Harry of Fred and George. He wore what Harry assumed was his standard dress uniform, decorated with medals just below his right shoulder. Behind him stood a bespectacled man with brown hair and green eyes wearing a black shirt and matching black pants. "And you are?"

"Harry Potter, sir, Head of the DMS." Harry used his official title, shaking the man's hand. The letters stood for 'Department of Magical Security'. Harry thought it was a little too close to the truth, but Percy explained that the muggles said it meant 'department of military security' when asked about the initials. It was the same anagram used all over the world, except for the'd', which sometimes was changed to other letters according to the country's system.

"DMS, huh?" Jack said, his eyes flickering to Harry's scar. "I know your counterpart in the 'States. Good man." He smiled at Harry. "I've heard of you, but you probably get that a lot."

Harry and Percy shared a look. "Yeah, I do get that a lot, but never from anyone outside of my society. What exactly is your official title, General?"

"That's classified, but you'll know it before the day's out." Jack answered smoothly. "Who's your friend?" He motioned to Percy.

"Percy Weasley, Head of the DMR." Percy said, using his official title with a glance at the man standing beside the General who had yet to be introduced. "I believe it's the SMR in your country, sir."

Jack nodded. "It is. And I like your counterpart, too, but he gets a little paranoid sometimes."

"Part of the job description, General." Percy said easily. "With a society like ours, secrecy is paramount. Something I'm told you understand."

"Yep." Jack said. His friend elbowed him. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Just a reminder." The man said, speaking for the first time. "Dr. Daniel Jackson. I'm a consultant with Jack's department." He shook hands with Percy and Harry.

"What are you a doctor of, Dr. Jackson?" Harry asked, cringing at the unintended pun.

"Archeology, linguistics, and anthropology." Jackson answered. "Though unlike Jack, I have no clue what 'society' you two apparently are a part of."

There was a long silence in which Percy and Harry seemed to communicate without speaking. Finally, Percy turned to Daniel. "What I'm about to say doesn't leave this room. You could say that our society is classified, and you'd be subject to the laws of our people if you break that rule. Trust me; our prison isn't a pleasant place."

"I know how to keep a secret, Mr. Weasley. I've worked with the American government on a secret base for ten years." Daniel said shortly.

Percy nodded, and then drew his wand. "Harry, you'll probably do a better job explaining things. I've no experience with muggles aside from Eric here." He began moving around the room, muttering in what Daniel suspected was something akin to Latin as he went.

Harry nodded. "Percy and I are wizards, Dr. Jackson." He said simply. "Right now, Percy is placing wards around the room to protect us from interruptions."

Daniel's eyes narrowed. "There's no such thing as magic, Mr. Potter." Jack rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming next.

Harry grimaced. "That's what my uncle told me every day until I turned eleven and received my school letter. Magic exists, Dr. Jackson, and I can prove it to you."

"By all means," Daniel said. "Be my guest." Harry pulled his wand from his pocket and muttered the incantation under his breath. He waved it as he spoke, pointing the business end at Daniel.

The Archeologist turned into a frog, much to Jack and Eric's amusement. Jack watched as Daniel hopped around the office, croaking angrily. Harry was beside himself, laughing as he chased the amphibian around, attempting to cast the charm that would reverse the transfiguration. "Hold still, will you?" Harry called to the frog, but Daniel still hopped away from him.

"Jackson, let Potter turn you back." Jack said to Daniel. The frog finally stopped long enough for Harry to reverse the transfiguration.

Daniel now stood where the frog had sat on Eric's desk, his shocked expression turning to a glare in his comrade's direction. Jack was still smiling madly. "That wasn't funny."

"You sure you don't have any urge to catch flies with your tongue?" Jack teased. "I don't think the SGC's mess hall has flies on the menu, but we can probably work something out."

Daniel rolled is eyes. "You've proven your point, Mr. Potter." He told the wizard, climbing down from Wittacre's desk. "If you and Percy will sign these, we can get started." He pulled two sheets of paper from inside a briefcase they hadn't noticed him carrying. "They're nondisclosure agreements, basically stating what you told me before you turned me into a frog."

Harry grinned, signing his with a pen handed to him by Eric. "Call us by our first names, Dr. Jackson." Percy nodded as he signed his own paper. "So what's the secrecy all about? You work on Area 51, do you?" Percy gave him a confused glance.

Daniel looked at Jack. "No, but close. The data we gather ends up there, mostly."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You work with aliens?"

"They travel to alien worlds using a device that creates a wormhole, if I remember right." Eric said with a glance towards Daniel.

"The Stargate, yes." Daniel confirmed.

"For those of us who haven't spent any time with muggles, what exactly is a wormhole?" Percy asked.

"Muggles are non-magic folk." Harry explained to Daniel. Jack already knew the term, since he'd dealt with wizards before. "Wizards keep to themselves, mostly, so people like Percy, who grew up in the Wizarding world, know next to nothing about the muggle world."

Daniel took a piece of paper and folded it in half. "Imagine that the paper is outer space. A wormhole bends space and time and creates a tunnel of sorts that connects the two sides of the universe it's brought closer together. The Stargate establishes wormholes with other Stargates that allows for instantaneous travel to the farthest reaches of our galaxy."

"And beyond." Jack added.

"Yeah, and beyond." Daniel said. "We've been travelling through the 'gate for the last ten years and we've barely scratched the surface of what's out there." He explained the Stargate system, the Ancients, and everything else they'd encountered in the last ten years. It took him nearly three hours, with interruptions and questions of clarification from those in the room. Some of this was new even to Eric, who'd only been told the basics by the IOA representative.

"So you're the Head of Homeworld Security?" Harry asked Jack. "That's why you knew about magic. You needed to know about everything so you could protect the planet better." Harry frowned. "Why haven't you brought wizards into this project before?"

"We have." Jack said. "In the research departments, though none of our people know your people exist. They're there to deal with anything from another planet that could be magical."

"Anyone I know, Jack?" Daniel asked, for this was news to him.

"I can't tell you, Daniel." Jack said. "Part of the agreement. It's for their own safety. Can you imagine if McKay found out about magic?"

"He'd never accept that it exists in the first place, but I get your point." Daniel said with a shudder. "You said in the research departments; but what about the field teams?"

"Though magic might be useful for our field teams," Jack began, "it'd be too much of a draw for the snakeheads. We don't want to make Earth more of a target than it already is, Danny-boy."

Daniel nodded, as did Eric, Harry, and Percy. It was comforting to Harry and Percy that their secrecy and security was being treated with the respect it deserved. It made it much more likely that they would end up partnering with the program, but Harry had other things he wanted taken care of first.

"Er, Eric, you said Hermione was working with them." Harry pointed out.

"Ah! Of course, your dear friend." Eric said. "Harry here has a friend working on Atlantis and he needs her help with something of an emergency. She's taken a position as a diplomat under the name of Dr. Madeline Marshall."

"Hermione's a doctorate?" Harry asked, though he wasn't surprised. "Sounds just like her, doesn't it, Percy?" The redhead nodded.

"What's the emergency?" Jack asked, knowing Atlantis had its check-in tomorrow. If it was a big enough problem, she could come through the 'gate then and fly over to England.

Harry briefly explained the war with Voldemort, his and Sirius' involvement, and what had happened in the last week. "We thought he'd died, but he's out there somewhere. Hermione'll have an idea of where to start looking for him."

"You keep calling her Hermione, but our records have her down as Madeline." Jack said. "Why is that?"

"About a month after the war, her fiancé – my brother Ron – died at the hands of a Death Eater. Hermione changed her name and left everything behind to make a new life for herself in the muggle world." Percy explained.

"I hired her, not knowing who she really was until Percy came along and told me what had happened." Eric said. "She's a wonderful girl, very quiet, but absolutely brilliant with diplomacy. That's why I suggested her in the first place."

The two Americans were stopped from responding by an identical ringing from their cell phones. Glancing at each other as they answered at the same time, their expressions turned dark. "Got it" and "Understood were spoken before they hung up, both sighing and rubbing their temples in aggravation.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Atlantis is in a bit of a pickle. They need our help." Daniel explained. "Seems they've made enemies with Pegasus galaxy wizards."

Harry and Percy looked at each other. "I'll go with you," Harry said. "I need to talk to Hermione anyways, and you'll have an idea of what they can do in battle with me around."

"Harry's the head of our law enforcement officers." Percy said. "It's his job to know how to fight with magic, and how to protect himself and others with magic. He defeated the most dangerous wizard of our time. If anyone's going to consult with you over this, it should be him."

Jack nodded, handing Harry his cell phone. He tapped the radio that sat in his ear. "Caldwell, this is O'Neill. I've given my phone to a consultant who'll be joining us on Atlantis. Beam him, Jackson, and me up on my mark."

"_Understood, General."_ A voice came from the radio.

"Beam me up, Scotty?" Harry joked, remembering the line from one of Dudley's old shows.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one with a sense of humor." Jack said with a look at Daniel, who rolled his eyes. "You ready?"

"Hold on." Harry took a piece of paper and wrote a quick letter. "Give this to Ginny." He said to Percy. "She can't know where I'm going, but I told her I'll be seeing Hermione there and that I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"She can write to you through our mail system." Daniel said, suspecting that Ginny was Harry's wife. "Here, I'll give her the information." He scribbled the address and other necessary information down on the bottom of Harry's letter.

"Thanks, Daniel." Harry said sincerely. "Ginny can get a little worried if I'm gone too long."

"Wives are like that." Jack said. "Too pushy." He watched Percy take Harry's letter and clap the man on his back. "Ready?"

Harry nodded this time. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Three to beam up, Colonel." Jack said into his radio, and the three disappeared in a blinding white light.

**A/N: Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Note that since I'm only rarely allowed to use fanfiction until my room's packed for school, updates may be a bit infrequent. But hey, at least I didn't leave you with a cliffhanger this time :)**


	14. Lost Dog Found

As soon as the white light vanished, Harry saw it begin to engulf him again. Before they disappeared, he caught a glimpse of a large window, with a big blue blob and lots of stars outside it. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that he'd just seen Earth from space. The blue blob looked a lot like the pictures from his old muggle schoolbooks.

Once the light died down for the second time, Harry looked around the room in which they now stood. It was not very large, big enough to fit a long table with a white board at the end and leave enough space for people to move about. It seemed to be a briefing room, not unlike the one he used at the Auror headquarters. The walls were beige, the table black with a red trim. A number of chairs sat around it.

The door opened, and a heavy-set man with graying black hair strode into the room. "General! Good, now that you're here we can move things along. I gather you'll be joining SG-1 and the others?"

"Yeah," Jack said from Harry's right. The man was standing behind him, but now he moved forwards. "Good to see you, Hank."

"And you, sir." The other man said. "Dr. Jackson, I believe Mitchell and the others are gearing up." Daniel nodded and left, understanding Hank's unspoken request. "Who's this?" He motioned to Harry.

"Harry Potter, sir. Head of Britain's DMS." Harry shook hands with the man.

"General Hank Landry." The other introduced himself. "I gather you're aware of what we do here?"

"Yes, sir, I am." Harry said.

Hank nodded and eyed Jack. "Then I assume that you're here to help us with our current crisis?"

Harry shot Jack a worried glance, but the older man waved him off. "He's alright, Harry. He knows what's going on with all this. You'll have to tell the teams we're working with, which are-"Jack stopped. "Who's all coming with us?"

"SG's 5-9, and SG-1." Hank answered. "You'll also be working with SGA-1, but you can have them train their people, since they've got wizard allies over there."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Can we just have them train everyone, then? I'd rather keep this as much of a secret as possible."

Jack shrugged. "It's up to you, but I'd tell SG-1 and SGA-1 at the very least. Your buddy'll be working close with them, and if she's said anything about being a witch to SGA-1, they'll put two and two together anyways."

"For the others," Hank interrupted, "We can tell them you're an expert on the non-magical theories of magic and that the IOA thought you should tag along. Won't make you very popular with our teams, but it'll keep them from asking too many questions."

Harry nodded and relaxed a bit. It was a believable story, and he knew enough about the muggle world to pass as a muggle.

"When do we leave?" Jack asked.

"In ten minutes. The others are making their way to the 'gateroom now." Hank motioned behind the two, to a window Harry hadn't noticed before.

He gaped at the scene before them. A large stone ring sat at the far end of the iron room below, and twenty or so people were milling around in military gear, packing up crates of weapons and supplies. Harry noticed Daniel amongst them, out of his business suit and dressed instead in a black t-shirt, a green vest, and camouflage BDU's. He had a machine gun at his side. To his right, a woman with long black hair was bouncing about him. Harry was reminded vaguely of Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil, but this woman looked more dangerous than either of them. He looked at Jack. "Should we join them?"

Jack nodded, smirking as the woman clung to Daniel's free arm. The archeologist's expression was one of extremely stretched patience. "Yeah, let's go greet the kiddos." All three men left the room, headed down a hallway to an elevator, and then headed down another hallway to the large room that was once below them.

"O'Neill!" A voice boomed just as they entered the room. "DanielJackson informed us that you would be joining us." They turned to the right, and a large man with gold metal imprinted on his forehead approached. The only person Harry knew larger than him was Hagrid, and he was half-giant. "It is good to see you."

"You too, Teal'c." Jack said, smiling. He shook hands with his friend and patted the man's shoulder. "Where's the rest of the team?"

"ColonelMitchell remains in the locker room." Teal'c said. "ValaMalDoran and DanielJackson are near the Stargate." Now Jack saw them – just where they'd been not a minute before, Vala still clinging to Daniel's arm. Teal'c looked pointedly at Harry. "I do not believe we have been introduced."

Harry shook his head. "Harry Potter." He shook the man's hand, and with a nod from Jack he explained why he was there. "Jack asked me to help with Atlantis's… er… problem."

Teal'c nodded once. "GeneralO'Neill is an honorable warrior. To be chosen by him is a great privilege."

"Stop it, Teal'c, you're embarrassing me." Jack admonished. "Harry here's saved the world, too, but that's something of a secret between him and SG-1."

Teal'c inclined his head again. "Indeed. It is my hope that we will vanquish many enemies together, HarryPotter."

Teal'c's mannerisms and speech patterns reminded Harry of the centaurs. "Er, thanks." He said sheepishly. They fell into an awkward silence.

"Well," General Landry said, breaking the quiet, "I'll leave you to it, then, General. Get everyone ready; you'll be departing in" he glanced at his watch "six minutes. Good luck." Hank left them standing in the bustling 'gateroom.

Jack nodded. "Teal'c can show you around, Potter. Have him introduce you to the rest of the team." He then turned to an Airman and started taking control of the preparation activities.

"This way, HarryPotter." Teal'c led Harry to where Daniel and the woman were standing. "DanielJackson, ValaMalDoran, this is HarryPotter. He will be assisting us in the coming battles."

"We've met." Daniel said, smiling at Harry.

Vala eyed the newcomer. He was attractive, with his messy black hair sticking everywhere and his emerald green eyes. He seemed extremely fit, too. "It's a pleasure, Mr. Potter." She stuck her hand out at him. Daniel gave her a warning look, but she pretended not to notice.

Harry grasped her hand tightly. "Call me Harry, please."

"Are we ready?" A new voice asked, this time coming from a man around Harry's height with bright blue eyes and brown hair.

"Took you long enough, Cameron." Vala turned from Harry. She wandered over to where he was standing and gripped his arm. _So it's part of her personality, then_, Harry thought with a glance to Daniel. He filed the information away for later.

Cameron rolled his eyes. "I don't see you helping the other teams get their gear ready to go." His voice was teasing.

"I just got my nails done," Vala said, as if that cleared her from any work. "It'd be a shame to break one now."

Harry snorted. When she tossed him a dirty look, he explained, "Sorry, you sounded like one of my friends' ex girlfriends just now. I swear all she ever talked about was clothing and nail polish." He shook his head, but winced when he remembered exactly who 'Lav-Lav' had clung to during their sixth year.

"At least someone has some sense." Vala said, forcing Harry to stop himself from laughing too hard.

"A Brit, huh?" Cameron interrupted. "The accent's unmistakable."

"Harry Potter." Harry introduced himself, shaking the man's hand. "I work with Britain's DMS. Jack thought my area of expertise could prove useful in this situation."

Comprehension dawned on Cameron's face. "A wizard, huh? Didn't know we had those on Earth."

Harry looked around. The other teams were steering clear of this group as they got everything together. He nodded. "There are, but we prefer to keep our society a secret. Only your team and SGA-1 will know my true – er – training, I guess you could say. To everyone else, I'm a consultant the IOA brought in on muggle theories of magic."

"Muggle?" Cameron asked.

"Non-magical folk." Harry explained. He frowned. "Sorry, but I don't think I ever caught your full name."

"Colonel Cameron Mitchell, US Air Force." Cameron said. "I'm in charge of SG-1."

Harry nodded. He recalled Daniel and Jack talking about him during the meeting earlier that day. "It's a pleasure, sir."

Before anyone could say anything further, Jack strode by them and climbed up the ramp. "Alright, campers, it's time to go. Keep your hands and feet inside the wormhole at all times, and whatever you do, steer clear of the ramp until the puddle appears in the center unless you want to be turned into ashes."

Harry looked at Daniel, who was smirking. "The wormhole explodes outwards when it engages and settles into a blue puddle." He explained as the 'gate started activating. "All that's left behind if you're caught by the explosion are your shoes. Just part of the physics of the thing."

"Ah." Harry said, but the comment made him a bit more wary of the big device before him. He watched it with trepidation as they stepped backwards to make more room for the 'explosion' of the wormhole.

And there it was. The blue, water-like material shot out from the center of the 'gate and locked into place. Harry had to admit that the result looked a lot like a puddle. He heard Jack singing softly as he stepped up the 'gate. "Off we go, into the wild blue yonder!" He was cut off when he went through the wormhole.

Harry and the rest of SG-1 climbed the 'gate next, but he let the others go before him. Finally, it was his turn. He took a deep breath and stepped into the wormhole.

* * *

_Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy_

Samantha Carter was happy that everyone was back on Atlantis. John was alright, thanks to some powerful wand-waving by Kleit. He didn't even seem to have a limp in his step, though they said the man couldn't walk very well after they brought him back to Icetower. They'd arrived ten minutes ago, and five minutes after that Madeline Marshall had come back with Ronon, Certus Calhoun, Marcus Ventrius, and Maggie Ventrius. She was sure they'd need all the help they could get, so Sam was more than willing to let the three Lorenians join them.

Now they were awaiting the arrival of the reinforcements from Stargate Command. She'd sent word through the 'gate while the other teams were gone, and they were supposed to be coming any moment now. _There_. The Stargate powered up. She recognized the address that was locking into place as the one they used for the way station. "Lower the shields," she said to the tech at the controls when he told her it was SG-1's IDC.

Hermione was standing next to Ronon and Sirius in the control room, watching the Stargate activate. Four people came through, none of them she recognized, but obviously Carter did. The Colonel was already down there, greeting the others and smiling, giving them hugs as if they were old friends. They probably _were_ old friends, now that Hermione thought about it. It would certainly explain the behavior.

But then another man caught her attention, one with messy black hair and bright green eyes. This man was tall, wore glasses and a muggle business suit, and stood with an air of confidence and assurance that spoke of heroic deeds in his past. Many she'd met here on Atlantis, such as Ronon, John, Colonel Carter, and Teyla, had the same air of confidence about them. It was not one that a person gained lightly; she only knew of a single cause: that of living through difficult times, whether a war or a battle or some other tragedy in one's life, and rising above it.

She watched his expressions. He was frosty for awhile, just as she had been the first couple of times she used the Stargate, so she gathered that he was new to the project. He was now staring around with wonder and awe – he obviously hadn't been to Atlantis before. He was so dazed, in fact, that when other people started materializing he didn't notice until they pushed him aside so he was out of the way.

"Hey, you alright?" Ronon asked her, giving her a worried look. She'd been fixed on the man below them for nearly two minutes now, and hadn't noticed that she was the only member of the team (besides Ronon) still on the balcony.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go down there." She followed Ronon down the steps and into the main 'gateroom. She glanced around, looking for her teammates. Rodney was next to Carter, babbling to her about whatever they'd found in Icetower and Northtower. John was talking animatedly with a man who had bright blue eyes and brown hair. Teyla was standing quietly next to John, wearing a soft smile. And Ronon, of course, was just beside her. The Lorenians had remained in the shadows, hidden until the others decided they were needed.

Harry surveyed his surroundings in stunned silence. Never had he imagined that something like _this_ had been erected. Never had he imagined that there was life on other planets, in other galaxies, or that he'd ever meet any of those people.

Oh yes, he saw the 'aliens', the outsiders. There was a tall man standing behind another woman with black hair who looked vaguely familiar for some reason. He had dreadlocks and carried himself the same way many of his Aurors did. Then there were four others, all standing off to the side in shadows. He couldn't see their features clearly, but he could tell that they were wearing long robes. Another woman stood next to a man with black hair. She was tall, had brown hair, and was almost as attractive to him as Ginny, but not quite. She, like the first 'alien', carried herself as any leader would.

"So, Carter, why don't we all get down to business?" Jack was asking the blonde haired woman he was standing beside.

Carter nodded. "Sure. Get SG-1 and your consultant up to the conference room. We'll all talk there." Harry blushed in embarrassment. Had he been introduced without realizing it? Carter noticed his expression. "It's alright, Mr. Potter, Atlantis has that effect on everyone."

Harry smiled. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I was too distracted by the city to catch your name."

"Colonel Samantha Carter, US Air Force, commander of the City of Atlantis." She smiled as she led them up to the next floor. "I answer to Colonel, Carter, or Sam. Take your pick."

"Call me Harry, Colonel." Harry said, deciding he'd stay professional.

A little ways behind them, Hermione was walking with Sirius. "It's good that they brought so many people. It'll help with the repairs we need in the cities we found."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, it will. It'll make the whole process go quicker. I just hope Machien and Cally are alright." He grimaced. "Whatever happens, I want that bastard Darien for myself."

"Not if I get him first, Certus." Kleit said from Sirius' left.

"He's mine, and that's an order." Sirius said jokingly, but an undercurrent of hatred seeped through his voice and no one laughed.

"Not one I'm inclined to follow, Protector." Kleit said in the same tone Sirius had just used. In the next few minutes, they'd reached their destination, and the others were already sitting down when a gasp of recognition and shock came from the right side of the room.

Harry had just seen Sirius Black. He knew it was Sirius – it had to be. The man had the long, shaggy hair his godfather wore, the same grey eyes, and the menacing look he'd worn in the Wanted posters. But how did he get out here? And why was he amongst the 'aliens' he'd noticed before? Deciding that 'better safe than sorry' was the angle to take here; he pulled out his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the man impersonating his godfather.

"Woah, hold it," Jack said, stepping in between Harry and Sirius. "What's gotten into you, Potter?"

Sirius and Hermione were both staring at Harry with newfound recognition. Sirius simply hadn't seen his godson in the crowd, but now Hermione knew why he looked so familiar. "Harry?" She asked. "It's alright, Harry, he doesn't mean any harm."

He turned to him. "How do you know my name?" So her disguise had worked; it was just too different for anyone from her past to recognize her. "How do you know who I am?"

The room was tense. Her team watched her with concern; they all knew the only 'Harry Potter' to which she could be referring. But why was he here? Obviously he recognized his long-dead godfather - that was why he was pointing the wand at him. Whatever she decided to say, they'd stand behind her. Of that much she was positive.

"Harry," Hermione was starting to choke on her held-back tears. "Harry, it's me."

His eyes widened. "No, no way. How the bloody hell did you manage to get your hair that strait?"

Hermione laughed and jumped forward to hug her long-lost friend. "Put that wand down before you poke someone's eyes out." The tension lightened a little in the room, but it was quickly replaced by confusion so strong it shut out all questions anyone had.

"But he looks like Sirius. He can't be Sirius." Harry said to her. "He can't be Sirius. He was born on another planet, for Merlin's sake."

"I am Sirius, Harry." Sirius spoke up. "Harry, put your wand down."

"You're _dead_!" Harry said. "I saw you die!"

"Wasn't Sirius your godfather's name?" Jack asked. "The one you thought was dead but found the not-moving painting of?"

"Moving painting?" Mitchell asked, voicing the first question that came to mind.

"Later." Jack said.

Harry nodded in response to Jack's question. "But how could he have come all the way out here? It's not possible!"

"I Ascended, Harry." Sirius said, putting his hands up in a defensive position. "I became pure energy. They - the other Ascended - dropped me off on Lorena, in this galaxy. I have to fulfill a prophecy out here, that's why I didn't come back."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you."

Glancing at the Lorenians, Sirius motioned for them to come in so the door would close. Once it was shut and everyone was in the room, he turned into his dog form.

With a clatter, Harry dropped his wand. "Sirius." He said, smiling through an onslaught of tears. He went to the dog, who tackled his godson and licked the man's face, tail wagging exuberantly.

Carter looked at Madeline. "You've got some explaining to do, Dr. Marshall."

Hermione just grinned. "Of course, Colonel Carter. Let's start at the beginning, shall we? My name isn't Dr. Madeline Marshall. It's Hermione Granger, and I'm a witch."

**A/N: YAY! Another chapter done, and this story's over 40,000 words and counting! Thank you for all of the reviews! With six more reviews, I'll have my first 40K word story AND my first story with 100 reviews! So cool **

**Oh, and for those who aren't aware, 4****th**** of July is America's Independence Day. **


	15. Meanwhile, Back on the Ranch

**A/N: I apologize for the long wait between chapters. To make it up to you, this one's a lot longer than normal.**

_Earlier that day..._

Machien woke slowly. His whole body ached, but the pain had become second nature to him over the last two days. They were torturing him, sending so much pain his way that he felt he was close to death by the end of the day. They'd leave him over night, then the Healers would repair any physical damage in the morning and the process would start all over again. He was familiar with the technique – his father had practiced on him when Machien still lived in the Achnid Empire.

Being the good Bernien that he was, Machien tried to get as much intel as possible through observation. He was inside an Achnid complex - the distinct dark blue and pitch black stones in the walls and the iron bar door to his cell gave that away. The cell was reinforced with wards and the like, of this Machien was aware from his Achnid days.

There were no more than three or four guards around his cell at a time, and these were all lower-level Spellcasters. Never had he one of the Mages guarding his cell. He probably wasn't considered important enough.

Outside the cell, he wasn't really allowed to look around much. They often had a full body bind curse on him, so he was forced to stare at the ceiling whenever they brought him anywhere. Either that or they stunned him and _then_ put a body bind curse on him. Regardless, it meant he couldn't search the halls for Cally, or for Darien the traitor for that matter.

_Darien_. The name that had once meant brotherhood to him was dead now. The Darien he had known died the night this new Darien was born – the Darien that betrayed his friends to the Achnid Empire in order to give himself a higher standing with their enemy. Darien was no longer Darien the Lorenian. He was Darien the Achnid. And Machien had no desire to count one of the Achnid Empire's Mages as his friend. Unless said Mage was working for Lorena, which in this case he was not.

Sitting up, Machien quieted his thoughts and began to meditate. Meditation, a tool he used frequently as a Legillimens and an Occlumens, helped him escape the cell and explore the halls of the ship. During meditation, Marcus found that his hearing was sharpened greatly if he could establish a link between his magic and his ears. He wasn't sure if that'd ever been done before, but it worked for him and he was bloody well going to use it. _Wait…_ Machien's technique had led him to a conversation taking place just down the hall, outside the cell block he was residing in.

"_The subjects refuse to cooperate, sir. Neither will give us any information on Lorena's defenses." _The voice spoke in the Achnid tongue to a commander, probably one of the Mages.

"_Then try harder, Serbenti, obviously your techniques are not working."_ Machien fought to control his rage. That voice he knew well. It was the voice of Darien the Achnid.

"_That's the problem, Snake Mage; we can't put any more power into the techniques we're already using. If we do they'll die."_ The voice known as Serbenti said. So Darien could control snakes. That's what being a Snake Mage meant, after all. Every so often a person was born with a power over a breed of animals. Said person would become known as a Mage of whatever species they could control. Machien found it a further betrayal that Darien had never used these powers in front of their team.

"_Then kill them, Serbenti." _Darien said simply.

"_Surely you aren't speaking of our new charges, Darien Serpentine."_ A new voice spoke clearly, as if she was in charge of Darien. It wasn't speaking in Achnid tongue, though, and its voice wasn't human. _ "With them dead, our Lorenian friends have no need to turn over their leaders." _ So Cally was still alive! This was good news.

"_Forgive me, my queen."_ Queen? There was no Achnid Queen, only the Emperor Lucian Del Mourne, who was most decidedly male. Machien only knew of Wraith Queens. Was Darien serving a Wraith Queen? All evidence certainly seemed to point that way. He clued back into the conversation.

"_We still need them, Darien. You will get your chance soon enough." _She paused. _"Perhaps a change in technique is necessary. Bring them to me instead. I will await them in the dining room."_

"_My queen, pardon my bluntness, but I thought you were keeping your presence secret?" _

"_Indeed, Darien Serpentine. I WAS keeping my presence secret. But as the sun will rise, so your Lorenian teammates will die. It is set in the stars, Snake Mage. I see no reason to hide my presence from them now."_

"_But Certus will surely mount a rescue for them! He 'never leaves a man behind' and I mean never. One time we-"_

"_I have neither the time in the day nor the desire in my heart to hear your tales, Spy. Your job is done, and soon you will be of no use to us, too. I would tread carefully if I were you."_ The voice was clearly one of warning. Machien smiled inwardly at the thought of Darien's mollified expression he knew the Snake Mage was wearing.

"_Yes, my queen. I apologize for my presumptions."_

"_Bring them to me, as I have asked, and you will see how forgiving the Wraith can be, Darien._" And Machien heard her footsteps clopping away from the hallway. He grimaced, breaking off the connection. Well, at least he knew what was coming next. _May Merlin bring you here soon, Certus, and may Merlin protect you, Cally. _

_

* * *

_Cally's body was completely stiff. She could barely move at all. It wasn't because she was petrified – it was that she was wrapped in a wraith cocoon. She struggled against her binds, but to no avail. "Damn it," she cursed.

Last she remembered, she was being carted away from her cell in the Achnid fortress. They must've decided to feed her to the Wraith after all.

Cally thought. Was there anything she could do without a wand or weapon to get out of the blasted cocoon she was trapped in? She recalled a lecture Maggie Ventrius had given not too long before the betrayal…

"_A new project has borne some fruit. It is known to the Research Teams as Project Channeller . The theory states that since all witches and wizards have a magical core, that core should be able to channel the magic through a witch or wizard's body. That's how accidental magic occurs._

"_Project Channeler began in an attempt to break down the walls that block our magic from the rest of our bodies." She held up a finger and said "Lumos." The tip of her finger lit up like a wand would have in response to the spell. There was an intake of breath from the audience._

Cally didn't remember how Maggie had said to do this, but she gathered that the theory of it was very similar to Animagi magic. To get into her wolf form, Cally had to be in tune with her core in a way that most witches and wizards never were. She had to lower the shields around it so her magic could envelop her and change her form. That was the theory, anyways. In practice it was a lot harder, since one didn't want to lower the shields so much that one lost control of one's magic.

Cally suspected that, just like in Animagi transformations, lowering the shields entirely was a bad idea in this case, too. Cally wouldn't want her entire body to turn into a lightbulb, nor did she really want to lose control of her magic. While Cally wouldn't mind doing serious damage to the stupid hive ship she was in, she wanted to be intact after doing said damage.

So instead, Cally decided that it was probably necessary to focus the magical energy to one part of her body. That way, Cally could keep control of her core while still lowering the shields enough to perform the wandless magic she needed to do.

Struggling until she could point her index finger out towards the hallway, Cally sent her mind into her body, towards the center of her chest. There she focused on the white ball of light and magic that was her core. Around the core she could feel the magical shields that held it together. She focused further, and she felt them drop slowly. She imagined herself taking her other hand and guiding the magic within her core to her index finger, and in her mind's eye she saw it floating down her arm as if a coursing vein. Focusing on the Cutting curse, she charged her arm until she felt it was full enough with magic and said, "_Sectumsempra." _She guided the vicious charm through her finger and sliced a hole in the cocoon.

Anticipating a taxing rebound from the successful spell, Cally forced her walls back up as soon as the curse had done its work. Breathing hard, she used her free hand to tear the hole into something she could escape out of. A few minutes later, Cally broke through the cocoon and fell onto the hard floor of the hive ship with a thud. She looked around as she pulled herself off the floor and ran out of the hall.

* * *

Not long after Machien had shut off his super-hearing, as he liked to call it, Darien strode into the hallway. Machien heard him talking to the guards.

"_Open the cell, Simple One."_ Darien said, his voice just barely carrying through the cell's wards. Simple One was the term the higher-ups in the Achnid Army used towards those of lower status than them. The Simple One said something that Machien couldn't hear. "_Do you want to explain to the Queen why she can't interrogate the prisoner?"_ Another mumbled response from the Simple One, a quick "_Then open the door" _from Darien, and the wards and bars around Machien's cell disappeared.

There, right in front of his cell, stood Darien Doren, in all his Achnid glory. He had on a deep green robe that trailed behind him as he walked, signifying his rank as a Snake Mage within the Achnid Army. To further the image, a badge with a cobra was pinned to his chest. Darien's face was colder than Machien had ever seen it, wearing an expression of pure hatred he'd only seen directed to Lorenian enemies before now. "And so the traitor shows his true colors." Machien said dryly. "Come to lay a hex or two of your own, or are you letting your cronies do your dirty work for you, Spy?"

Darien's expression remained the same. "I'd watch my tone if I were you, Lorenian. Most prisoners don't even last this long."

"What makes me so special, then?" Machien retorted. "Are you having second thoughts? If so, I doubt Certus would ever take you back after this."

Darien snorted. "Certus Calhoun. There's a failed leader if I ever met one. With my powers, _I _should be leading the Bernien forces." He smirked. "My pets could beat Certus in a battle any day." As if to prove his point, Darien hissed and a king cobra slithered out of his robe. "Belle truly lives to her name, doesn't she, Lorenian?" He stroked the snake lovingly. "One drop of her poison would kill anyone instantly."

"Do you honestly think Certus would find _Belle_ intimidating, Spy?" Marcus refused to use Darien's name, just as Darien refused to use Machien's name. Neither liked the other, and both felt the other had betrayed his own kind. "Whatever you're here for, please just get it over with and leave me alone. I've nothing to say to you."

"Watch your tongue, Traitor." Darien spat. "It could easily find a place under my foot."

"Better to kiss up to you with, Snake Mage." Machien said sarcastically, smirking at Darien's shocked expression. "You forget, Mighty One, that I lived on the Achnid homeworld for nearly twenty years before I escaped the Empire. In that time, I learned what different colored robes and badges meant. Your green robe classifies you as an Animal Mage, your badge as a Snake Mage. I didn't make Certus' second in command for nothing, Spy."

Darien seemed like he was about ready to burst. His face had turned as red as a tomato all the way up to his brown bangs. Darien's green eyes were narrowed to silts and his mouth was as small as a pinprick. "_Take him to the Queen, Simple One_." He ordered in the Achnid tongue. _"Let her deal with him._"

The thug that'd been guarding the door pulled Machien forcefully to his feet and led him out of the hallway.

* * *

Cally dashed behind a big pillar just as two Wraith soldiers came through the hallway. They were headed towards the direction of the cocoon she'd just escaped from not too long ago. Soon they would find out that she had escaped, and her time to find a way off of the ship would be cut in half. Peachy.

It was absolutely brilliant timing, too. Cally was lost – it was always Darien who mapped out the ship and told them where to go. _Darien_. The name was practically dead to her now. She no longer thought of the wizard as a friend, but as a traitor. He was the enemy now.

_Speak of the devil_, Cally thought to herself. Darien was striding down the hallway, his face stonier than she'd ever seen it. He was trailing behind the Wraith, but he was headed towards her old cocoon. He didn't look happy.

Making a split-second decision, Cally stealthily followed him down the hall. She figured that if she followed Darien around long enough, she'd at the very least figure out where the ship was. That was another problem she had – if they were in space, she couldn't easily get off the ship. It'd take a lot more than simply opening an airlock. Hiding herself in the shadows, she dodged her captors until they reached her cocoon.

Darien was not pleased when he saw the empty cocoon. "How-" He turned to the Wraith, his wrath easily visible on his features. "Find her, unless you want to be the one to face the Queen. She's expecting our guest for dinner." The Wraith split up, their metal boots clinking away down the hall. "You won't hide from me for long, Lorenian." He said to the cocoon before he, too, strode away towards the direction the Wraith had gone.

_I can hide a lot better than you think, Darien_. Cally thought to herself with a smile. She was right beside them, and they didn't know it. Squashing her pride in her skills before it got the better of her, Cally trailed behind Darien, thinking about what she'd just heard.

Every Lorenian knew perfectly well that the Achnids followed a male emperor. Lucian Del Mourne was the most malicious leader one could imagine, from the stories she'd heard Machien tell. He killed with no reason, he treated his underlings' property as his own, and he took any woman he wanted – there was no arguing with him, no denying his advances. So for Darien to warn of a queen would mean that he was following someone else; either on his own, or on his Emperor's orders. And the only race that the Achnids would feel the need to partner with that had monarchs was the Wraith.

The thought of someone she once counted as a friend serving a Wraith made Cally want to puke.

"Mage Doren," a voice called from behind them. A woman stood down the hall. "I was hoping I'd run into you." She came forward and placed her hands on Darien's chest. The woman was beautiful, Cally had to admit. She had long, wavy brown hair that draped around her shoulders and long eyelashes above her eyes. She wore a blue robe that clung to her figure suggestively. The woman stood almost as tall as Darien, and she carried a staff with a sapphire fixed to the top. Cally recognized the staff as that of a water mage – one exactly like the staff the mage who attacked Marcus's home carried so many years ago. She'd seen the Pensive memory of the event.

"Sari," Darien said fondly, his angry features melting into compassion and – love? "We cannot be seen together here, Sari." He gripped her hand and made to move it away from his chest.

Sari pouted. "What do the Wraith know of human behavior? They may see, but they won't understand."

"There are other eyes and ears aboard this ship, Sari." Darien said, as one would say to a child.

"Don't you talk to me that way, Darien Doren." Sari scolded. "I am no Lorenian child for you to coddle." She was angry now.

"Oh, Sari." Darien chuckled. "You are far too beautiful a woman to be mistaken as a child. Especially a Lorenian child." Cally fought back a growl. He was insulting his own people, his homeworld, as he'd insulted the Achnid Empire not long before the betrayal.

"I'd keep that in mind if I were you." Sari told him. "I am not one to cross."

"Most certainly, that is so." Darien agreed, chuckling again. "But neither is the Emperor. He has already forbidden our love."

"The Emperor can-" Darien covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shh, Sari, the walls have ears." Darien said, soothing his lover. He stroked her hair affectionately. "And eyes." He dropped his hands with a sigh.

"Perhaps…" Sari started, hesitating. "Perhaps Lorena wouldn't be so bad, if we could be together."

Darien hissed. "_You_ are suggesting treachery? The woman who has the ear of the Emperor?" Darien sounded shocked.

"It would give them a reason to keep us around, Darien." Sari pointed out. Cally thought that even if Marcus and Certus decided to let Darien live, they'd keep the two of them as spies, as double agents. Sari placed her hands on his chest again. "You would consider it if you really loved me."

Darien shot her a hurt glance before saying, "Expecto Patronum". Instead of the snake she knew as his Patronus form, Cally saw it take the form of an alley cat instead. Judging the shocked and pleased look on Sari's face, she knew that the alley cat was Sari's Patronus form. "I love you, Sari, more than anything in the galaxy. You know that."

"I do, Darien, I do." Sari conceded. "Please, think about what I said."

Darien nodded. "I will, though I doubt they'd accept me if we did go to Lorena." _Oh, I can think of a couple of ways,_ Cally said. First, he could show Certus and Marcus the changed Patronus form to validate his story. Then he could free her and Machien and take them back to Lorena. Or he could at least give Marcus and Certus information that would help them mount a rescue mission. If Darien wished to be useful, he'd realize that he had to keep the trust of the Achnids so he could play a double agent. It wouldn't be easy in any sense of the word, but it'd give Cally's superiors a reason to trust him.

Cally debated showing herself right then and there, offering her advice in exchange for her freedom. It would be reasonable – she had already escaped, so it wouldn't look like he'd set her free. But she didn't trust Darien as far as she could throw him. She was therefore hesitant to present herself to him when he could just as easily throw her back in the cocoon. But if he really wanted a way to get in with the Lorenians again, this would be a good way to do it. She watched Darien interact more with Sari, noticing the obvious affection and worry he held for the female mage. They were a good match, Cally had to admit. Sari seemed to tame Darien in a way that Cally had never thought possible.

"Please, Darien," Sari was pleading with him. "I don't want to 'have the Emperor's ear', as you put it. There're more things that come with the job than meets the eye." She grew quiet at the last comment, apparently guessing how Darien would react.

Darien glowered. "What has he done?" He asked slowly, patience wearing thin.

"Nothing to me, but it is only a matter of time." Sari said reassuringly. "I have heard stories." She looked down. "Versil didn't die of sickness."

"Alright, Sari." Darien said after a long silence, his head hung low. "I'll do it, if only to get you away from _him_." He spoke the word with much more venom than Cally would have expected, fermenting the idea in her mind that he'd do anything to protect Sari, including setting herself and Machien free.

Taking a deep breath, her heart pounding madly, Cally stepped out of the shadows. "Darien." She said, and the couple turned in a flash. "Darien, if you want to be accepted among the Lorenians, you need me free."

"Who is this, Darien?" Sari asked. "What has she heard?"

"This, Sari, is Cally, one of our Lorenian guests." He spat the word 'Lorenian'. "She's a member of Certus Calhoun's Bernien team. As to what she's heard, I'd like the answer to that myself." He glared at Cally.

"I heard everything, Darien." Cally said. "And saw everything. You love her, more than you hate Lorena. You want to protect her. I can help." Cally waited, face neutral.

"And what reason would you have to help us?" Sari asked suspiciously. It was obvious she didn't trust Cally at all. The woman was leaning on her staff, her right hand twitching dangerously. Cally knew she was ready to fire a spell at her if she made a wrong move.

"My freedom, for one, and an aid for my people." Cally answered smoothly.

"Explain." Darien ordered.

"You need Marcus and Certus to trust you. Presenting me, free, would go a long ways towards that goal." Cally said. "But you also need to give them a reason to help you. It would be a great asset to us if we had a double agent working in the Achnid Army, especially one as close to the Emperor as you obviously are."

Darien considered her words. Cally was right – there was no way he'd be trusted on Lorena right now. He wouldn't be surprised if they cursed him on sight. But if he were to let Cally go, he'd face judgment and broken trust on the Achnid side of things. "What do you suggest I do to keep my superiors' trust if I let you go?"

"Don't let me go willingly." Cally said. "I'll put on a show by overpowering Sari and taking her hostage. One of my demands will be to show me to the Stargate and let me go back to Lorena. If your Emperor and your Queen ask why you let me go, tell them that I would have killed Sari had you not. If what Sari said is true, the Emperor wouldn't want her dead."

Darien looked at Sari. His lover seemed to be impressed with the plan Cally suggested. Granted, Darien would still be punished, but it would be reasonable to let a prisoner go in exchange for a mage's life, especially a mage as powerful and respected as Sari. "What do you think, love?"

Sari was silent. "Just one more question, Lorenian. Why do you ask for your freedom and not that of your comrade's?"

Cally nodded once. She had wondered when they'd ask that. "Machien is still in your custody. It'd be harder to pretend he just 'got away', and your trust with the Achnids would be tested more if both of us got away."

Sari slowly looked at Darien. "I did not know your people were capable of such forethought."

"Only those of us from Sorcien House like Cally and me." Darien said in response with a smile towards Cally. She pursed her lips, but didn't say anything, waiting for him to decide what the couple would do.

Down the hall, she could hear the clinking of metal boots stepping on metal floors. Sari heard it too, and handed Cally her staff. "Let's get this over with," she said, making the decision for Darien. Cally grabbed the staff in one hand and Sari in the other, and then turned herself and her 'hostage' towards Darien just as the Wraith and Achnid soldiers entered the hallway.


	16. Surprise Guests

"Get back." Cally warned the soldiers as they appeared, pointing the staff at the mage she held 'captive'. The soldiers looked to Darien, who'd masked his face with expressions of worry, hate, anger, and frustration.

Darien looked into Cally's eyes, a flicker of hope she knew only she could see flickering in his eyes. "She won't do it. She's too soft. Stay where you are."

"Do you really want to test that theory?" Cally kneed Sari in the mage's stomach. Sari let out a screech of pain. "The Emperor would not be pleased if you let a mage die, Darien."

Darien spat at her feet. "You know nothing of our Emperor, Lorenian. Do not speak ill of him."

"You're not in a position to make demands, Doren. With a flick of this staff and two simple words your precious lady mage will bother Lorena no more." Cally replied calmly. "I suggest you do as I say. First, have your soldiers – Achnid and Wraith – drop their weapons. Then show me to the nearest Portal and let me go."

"Mage Doren," a soldier spoke up, "Is one Lorenian prisoner worth the life of a Mage?"

"Quiet, Serbenti." Darien ordered. "No one speak but for me." He pretended to ponder the whole deal Cally was presenting, though in his mind he knew what he would say. After a minute or so, Darien asked, "If I agree to this, will you let Sari go?"

"Is that her name?" Cally replied, pretending not to know. "Pretty name for an Achnid."

"Answer the question, Cally." Darien was 'losing patience'.

"Yes. I'd let her go if you agree to the terms. After I leave." Cally clarified.

"Drop your weapons," Darien ordered his men. Then to Cally he said, "Follow me. I will show you to the Portal. No one follow us." He added for his men's benefit. He led Cally and Sari out of the Wraith ship and all the way to the Portal without any further problems. It took them nearly an hour to reach the Portal from the hive ship on foot. As soon as they saw that the Portal was unguarded, Cally let Sari go so she could dial the Portal for Lorena.

Darien turned to Sari. "Be safe, love."

Sari stepped forward towards him and placed her lips on his. "And you, Mage Doren. May Merlin guide us together again in this lifetime."

Darien recognized the Lorenian farewell. "Sooner rather than later." The Portal was now fully powered and ready for use. He turned to Cally. "Take care of her. The deal's off if she's harmed in any way."

Cally nodded. "I'll do my best, Darien. Be careful, will you?"

"Go." Darien said, though he was surprised by Cally's comment. Why would she worry about _his_ safety? He'd betrayed her to the Achnids, which could have cost Cally her life. "Time is not on our side." Darien watched until Sari and Cally were safely through the Portal before turning himself and Apparating back to the hive ship.

* * *

Sirius was standing on the balcony just off the control room that overlooked the City of Atlantis. He was pensive, thinking of his comrades that had been captured by the Achnids. He hoped beyond hope that they were still alive.

The meeting had gone better than he'd expected after they talked for awhile about how Sirius and Hermione ended up in the Pegasus galaxy. It'd taken only an hour to tell the story, then another hour to decide who was going to do what in the upcoming raid of the Achnid base. It appeared the Lanteans had ships fast enough to get to the base quick enough for the battle. They were Ancient ships, and thus needed a bit of a tune-up, but they'd be formidable once all was said and done. They'd also fly Icetower and Northtower, if they could get the cities together in time. Atlantis would serve as the base for all of the people who wouldn't be fighting in the battle, Brotherworlder and Lorenian alike.

The Lorenians would be providing ground soldiers, as many as could be spared. It would be interesting to see how the other Preliums reacted to that, but once they found out that Sirius was the Protector and the others were Brotherworlders they'd fall in line. Sirius was to lead the Bernien forces, since he knew what they would fight like. Harry would be helping him, and he'd be working with Hermione's team and SG-1 to prepare them for what they'd face in the battle. That way, John could explain to his soldiers (and Cameron to his) what they could expect from their enemies without having Harry expose his true nature to more people.

Right now, Sirius was waiting for Marcus, Kleit, and Hermione. The four of them would be leaving for Lorena soon, to talk the Preliums into providing the ground support they needed for the battle. Hermione was there as a representative of the Brotherworlders. Maggie would stay behind on Atlantis to see if magic could possibly help strengthen any of the technology the Lanteans used.

As Sirius looked at the beautiful city, he thought of his comrades, Machien and Cally, who were still captives of the Achnids. Sirius felt so guilty that he'd suspected Machien would betray the Lorenians. He hoped he got the chance to make it up to him, and he hoped that chance came sooner rather than later.

Sirius was incredibly worried about his teammates. The head Bernien squad was so close they were like family – the first true family Sirius had had since his Marauder days. They did everything together; from eating meals and watching plays at the theatre to chasing each other in their Animagus forms and fighting evil aliens. Oh, he could train a new team if he needed to, but they'd never replace the camaraderie and friendship that he'd had with Machien, Cally, Darien, and Kleit.

Hearing the doors slide open, Sirius turned. It was Hermione, with her hair combed and pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing a grey muggle business dress and high heels. Why women from Earth insisted on wearing heels, Sirius would never understand. He grinned at her. "You do realize that there're all sorts of stairs in the Prelium Courthouse, right?" The Courthouse was a spiral tower, and the main courtroom – where all the Preliums met during session – was on the top floor. One had to climb nearly two hundred steps in a spiral staircase before one reached the courtroom. Then there was another flight to get to the viewing gallery.

"Stairs?" Hermione asked weakly, glancing down at her shoes.

"Yes, stairs." Sirius confirmed. "Around two hundred of them. And they don't let you Apparate into the courtroom unless you're one of the Preliums. You may want to change your shoes."

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing else would go well with the outfit. I'll have to take them off when we get to the stairs and carry them up."

Sirius shrugged. "Suit yourself. How close are we to leaving?"

"Nearly there. I think Marcus was giving Maggie last minute instructions. Don't do magic on anything without fully delving into all possible outcomes, don't touch anything she doesn't recognize unless its function is explained to her, that sort of thing." Hermione smirked. "They're a cute couple."

Sirius nodded, smirking back at her. "That they are." He decided that now wasn't the time to ask about Hermione and Ronon. They would be leaving soon, and Hermione had enough on her mind with the coming negotiations that she didn't need to think about who Ronon may or may not have feelings for.

Within the next five minutes, Sirius and Hermione were called back to the 'Gateroom. Carter gave the order to start dialing Lorena, and the sergeant at the controls punched in the first of the seven-symbol address. But he was unable to go any further – someone was dialing in. "Raise the shields!" Carter ordered the sergeant, who complied immediately.

"Wait!" Sirius shouted up to them. He was watching the address as it appeared. "It's Lorena. Lower them; they don't know about your protections."

Carter looked at the address – now locking into place on the final symbol – and nodded to the sergeant, saying "Do as he says." The shields were lowered, and two people stepped through the 'gate before it disengaged itself.

Sirius, Marcus, and Kleit immediately raised their wands against the two newcomers. One of them was wearing an Achnid mage's robe. The other appeared as one of their captured comrades. Marcus spoke first. "Who are you?"

The one on the right answered. "It's me, Marcus."

"Tell us something only Cally would know." Sirius demanded, remembering how the Order used to confirm someone's identity.

"Darien betrayed us. Machien is still captured – only I was able to get away." Cally said. Seeing that they were still not convinced, she continued. "Your Patronus form, Marcus, is an eagle, and Maggie's is a fox."

"Darien could have told you any of that." Kleit informed her. "What happened when I visited your family in Zard?" He knew that only she and he were aware that the trip had even happened. Sirius and Machien were shooting glances at him questioningly.

"My mother thought I'd finally decided to settle down." Cally answered with a smile. "My father was about ready to kill you the moment you stepped through the door. They calmed when we explained that neither of us had any intention of settling down with the other."

"What did your brothers think of my Patronus?" Kleit asked, sure only Cally would know the answer to the question.

"They thought it was right funny." Cally said, and then she remembered their exact words. "Elliot said that it was 'strange a Bernien would have so boring a personality that he'd have a duck Patronus'. Ortan was confused as to how someone so cool could have such a stupid form."

Kleit nodded, smiling at the memory. Her brothers were still at Brooklan, a Sorcien and Harien, respectively. They were identical in appearance and age, but not in brains and personality. Elliot was more studious and quiet, Ortan more rambunctious and adventurous. Cally was the oldest child in her family. "It's her. Only she would know what had happened there."

"Then who's the Mage with you, Cally?" Sirius asked, lowering his wand.

"Her name's Sari." Cally said. "She's a Water Mage."

"Sorry to interrupt," Hermione said after a long silence. "But I'm sure I speak for everyone else in the room when I ask what the bloody hell is going on?"

"This is Cally Derv, one of the two Berniens captured by the Achnids." Sirius explained to her. "As to what's going on, I'd like to know the same thing." He turned to Carter. "Can we use the conference room again?"

Carter nodded. "Yeah. I'll collect the others."

"We we will begin while you do." Marcus said, following Hermione up the steps and back to the conference room. The others were close behind them. Once everyone was seated, he turned to Cally. "Why don't you explain _exactly_ what happened, and why you have an Achnid Water Mage with you."

Cally nodded. "Well, I escaped using Maggie's research in the field of wandless magic."

"Wandless magic?" Hermione questioned. "Isn't that impossible?" She knew it was on Earth, unless recent studies had been done to prove her wrong.

"On Earth it is, Hermione." Sirius confirmed. "But Lorena is far more advanced in magic than Earth is. Wandless magic is possible, if you know what you're doing. Maggie discovered the technique a year or so ago. And our spells are more powerful, too."

"Why?" Hermione asked. She hadn't missed Sirius's diction. He referred to himself as a Lorenian, not someone from Earth. It was an interesting

"Probably has something to do with the fact that all people on Lorena know about magic. We're not confined by secrecy laws." Sirius answered. "But that's a topic Maggie would know more about." He turned back to Cally, who was staring at Hermione with newfound respect.

Cally's jaw was slack. "You're from Earth? You're a Brotherworlder?"

"That is a conversation we should have away from prying ears." Kleit said, looking at Sari, who'd remained silent this entire time.

Cally nodded, glancing at Sari too. "As I was saying, I escaped from my cocoon. Not long after that, Darien and his soldiers started heading down the hall towards my cocoon. Figuring they'd lead me to the Portal sooner or later, I followed them, hiding in the shadows as I went. When he found out I was missing, he ordered the soldiers to search for me. That's when Sari appeared.

"Through the course of the conversation, I discovered that Sari and Darien are lovers. Their relationship, though, was banned by the Emperor, who sees Sari as one of 'his' women." This information gained Sari sympathetic looks from those in the room, and Cally continued as the Brotherworlders started filing in from wherever they were working before. "Darien's Patronus has changed forms to that of an alley cat."

"What?" Sirius said, shocked, looking from Cally to Sari. He sunk back into his chair. "So he must really love you, then, Mage." He addressed Sari. "Interesting."

Sari stared at him, waiting for the nine newcomers to enter the room before she answered. "It may be something you don't understand, Calhoun, but love is more powerful than allegiance to anything. Darien would go to the ends of the galaxy and beyond for me, as I would for him."

"Which is how I escaped." Cally said, breaking off a fight she knew was coming. Sirius seemed about ready to jump down Sari's throat. "Darien agreed to try and get Sari to Lorena; it was getting dangerous for her to remain by the Emperor's side." As she spoke, Hermione was passing the notes she'd taken so far down to her team members, SG-1, and their two CO's. Cally glanced at her before she continued. "When he said he'd attempt to flee the Empire, I stepped out of the shadows and offered them a deal."

"What deal?" Marcus asked slowly. "We don't normally make deals with traitors."

Cally nodded. "I realize that. Here's what I agreed to. Sari would be safe on Lorena, and they'd be free to continue their relationship, as long as Darien served as a spy for us. He'll probably work as a double agent of sorts, just to keep his trust with the Emperor and the Wraith queen. I also bartered for my freedom in the process."

"Why not Machien's freedom, too?" Kleit asked. "Why didn't you free him?"

"It would have looked suspicious," Sari answered for her. "Machien was awaiting a visit to the Queen. To have him going missing just as he was called to visit her would be dangerous. Only a few know where his cell is, and Darien is one of the few."

"How high up is this guy?" Jack asked becoming the first muggle to speak. "Would he even be worth the trouble?"

Sari's eyes turned on him, glaring fiercely. "Snake Mage Doren is one of our highest officers. He's third only to the Emperor and the Wraith Queen. All Achnid Simple Ones and Wraith soldiers must follow his every command, on pain of death."

"Then he is the Achnid First Prime." Teal'c deduced, earning confused looks from the Lorenians and Achnid in the room. The Lanteans and Brotherworlders were nodding in agreement.

"The First Prime is basically the general of an army." Daniel explained to the others. "Except that comes with the powers … she just described." Daniel motioned towards Sari, not sure what her name was. He'd missed the introductions, and Hermione's notes hadn't reached him yet.

"Then yes, Darien is our First Prime." Sari agreed. "We are no fans of Lorena, but we will do whatever is necessary to be together."

"So romantic," Valla sighed mockingly. "It'll never work out," she added in a stage whisper. Daniel elbowed her ribs as everyone else but Sari and the Lorenians were sniggering behind their hand. "Will you quit doing that, Daniel? My comment hardly warranted such brutish actions."

"Shut it, Valla." Cameron ordered. "So what now?"

"Darien will probably make a show of contacting us to exchange prisoners." Sari said. "You can discuss the details of the arrangement with him." She looked around the group. "What exactly is this place?"

Marcus looked at Carter, who waved her approval. "This is the City of the Ancestors, the City of Atlantis."

Sari's eyes bulged. Even she, an Achnid, had reverence for Merlin and the other Ancestors; for they helped the Achnids learn magic as well. Achnids, however, held more faith in Morgana than Merlin, and were more focused on elemental magic than their Lorenian counterparts. "Then these people," she motioned towards the non-Lorenians in the room, "are the descendants of the Ancestors?"

"How do we know we can trust you with this information?" Sirius asked gravely. "We don't trust Darien anymore, except the fact that he loves you and he won't jeopardize that. But all we have is your word that you won't give any of this information to your superiors."

Sari rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Calhoun, one would expect that the leader of the Berniens would know what Unbreakable Vows were. If it were worded right, I'd swear an oath to you if you'd wish."

"What's an Unbreakable Vow?" Carter asked.

"It's an oath, essentially. When a witch or wizard swears an Unbreakable Vow, they have to do as they've sworn, or else they'll lose their magic, possibly even their life." Said Hermione as she smirked at Sirius – she'd thought of the same thing when he asked his question. "Perhaps this… you swear on your life and magic that you'll not tell anyone – Achnid, Wraith or Lorenian – of what you discuss in secret with the people gathered here now unless Marcus or Sir-Certus allow you to do so. Would that be a fair Oath, Sari?"

"Isn't a little severe to expect someone to accept the consequences of not fulfilling that Oath?" Daniel asked, concerned for Sari. He didn't know the woman, but his compassion kicked in and spoke for him.

"It does seem a bit harsh," John agreed.

"It isn't." Harry said. "The Oath warns you if you're close to breaking it. It's part of the magic of the thing. Only a fool wouldn't know the warning when he felt it."

"Indeed." Teal'c said stoically. "You speak as if you've had personal experience."

"All Aurors have to take an Unbreakable Vow before they're allowed to join the Force." Harry explained. "It's part of keeping what we do a secret from the general Wizarding population." Sirius was nodding nearby, happy to hear Harry had chosen the career choice James had. He looked uncomfortable for a second. "Whenever I get too close to divulging Auror secrets, my magic tightens around my wand arm. It feels like someone's placed a vice grip on my arm."

"So it's safe, then." Carter asked. "It's not really that big of a risk."

"No, it's definitely not safe," Kleit disagreed. "It's still a risk one takes, but it's a sure win of proving dedication to a plan or loyalty to a group."

"Shall I begin?" Sari asked, impatient. She just wanted to get this over with. "Or will we talk all afternoon?"

"Some of us did have other things they needed to do." Rodney added superiorly.

Sari nodded once towards him. "Ventrius, if you will, I'll swear my Oath to you, with Calhoun as our witness?"

Marcus stood, as did Certus, and the two got into the positions that'd been requested of them. Sari grasped Marcus's arm, and Marcus grasped Sari's arm. Raising his wand over the two, Sirius waited until the gold tendrils appeared, stringing the Lorenian and the Achnid's arms together. "Do you, Water Mage Sari, swear on your life and magic that you will never speak of secrets told to you by a Lorenian or one of their allies in confidence to another Achnid or a Wraith, unless the Lorenian or their ally says that you can?"

"I do." Sari spoke, and the tendrils flashed once before disappearing as Sirius lowered his wand. "Will that suffice, Ventrius?" Sari asked, taking her hand off of his arm.

He nodded once. "It will." Turning to Carter and O'Neill, he said, "She is trustworthy now."

"Then with Hermione's help you and your people should be able to fill the two in." Carter said, standing.  
"They will be going back to Lorena with you."

"Certainly, Colonel." Marcus agreed easily. He noted that she hadn't meant the last statement as a question, or a condition. Marcus couldn't blame her for wanting the two off of her base. He knew if he were her he wouldn't want someone who'd worked for the Wraith in an Ancestral City, especially when he hadn't cleared it first. "We shall depart immediately."

"Have fun," John said to Hermione as she followed the Lorenian delegation out of the room.

Hermione smirked at him. "Don't blow anything up while I'm gone." She'd read enough of his file to know that he had a habit of blowing things up. "I still haven't had a chance to see everything yet."

"Hey, it's not my fault Rodney blows everything up!" John said, pretending to be hurt.

"Oh sure, blame it all on me." Rodney grumbled.

"The story of my life," Daniel intoned, smiling sympathetically at Rodney.

"Come on, Hermione, we haven't got all day." Sirius said from outside the conference room.

"Duty calls." Hermione said, waving a farewell to her team and SG-1. Within seconds, the 'gate was dialed and she was stepping through to Lorena.

**A/N: Bet you're surprised to see an update this quick! Well, folks, I hope to finish this in the next couple of weeks. I'm taking 17 units this semester (15's the norm) so I'll be quite busy once school gets back and probably won't be writing much. Don't want to leave all my lovely readers with a cliffie or something, though, so I'll do my best to get the rest of this posted before then.**


	17. Lorenian Diplomacy

"So," Sirius said after everyone had appeared on the Lorena side of the wormhole, "I think we can all Apparate there, aside from Hermione and Mage Sari." He looked at the Achnid in their party. "Mage, what is your last name? I feel awkward addressing you by your first."

"Chinsen," Sari replied. "I appreciate the formality." She didn't expect to be on informal terms with any of them until she had been on Lorena for longer than ten seconds. She knew they didn't really trust her, even though she'd taken the Unbreakable Vow, and she didn't really trust them either.

"Mage Chinsen, if you will consent to Cally's Apparating you to the Bernien headquarters?" Sirius asked. He knew the Preliums wouldn't like it if they brought Sari straight to the Prelium building. Not that it was any secret as to where their meetings were held – what was more of a secret was the wards and so on surrounding the building. They wanted to keep that part to themselves as much as possible, and Sirius would have to tell Chinsen about the wards if he wanted her to help them in that endeavor. No, it was best if he kept her out of the loop altogether.

He looked at Cally and glanced down at his hand. She got the message and watched as he used the special sign-language their team had developed. They'd built it off of what the Berniens used on missions when they weren't under their invisibility cloaks. From the simple 'go left' and 'go right' or 'stay here' of the mission signing, they'd added 'Don't trust' and 'he's crazy'. Essentially the team could have an entire conversation with just their hands. Right now, he was telling Cally that he didn't trust Chinsen – a tap of the index finger on the thumb – and to keep an eye on her – an enclosed fist with the thumb tucked inwards.

She blinked once to show she understood, signaling that she'd be in her office with Sari at headquarters. "Let's go, Sari." She gripped the woman's shoulder, and with the Achnid's nod the two Apparated away.

"Alright. Now that Chinsen isn't here, let's go to the Prelium courthouse." He gripped Hermione's shoulder and waited until the others had Apparated before Apparating himself and his friend just outside of the Prelium building.

When they reappeared, Hermione was blown away by the size of the building they now stood in front of. It was easily as big as Sirius had described, and just as imposing as she'd imagined it. The building looked like a giant rook, not too dissimilar from the Lovegood residence. The only differences she could see were the facts that the building was about twice as tall and made of deep brown bricks instead of black. A pair of double-handle doors marked the only visible entrance to the fortress. This entrance was guarded by two men dressed in long brown robes.

Looking about, she spotted Marcus and Kleit to her left, while Sirius remained on her right. Marcus was striding up to the entrance to talk with the guards. As he discussed their business there and validated who he was with a Wizard's Oath, Hermione thought of what she'd seen exchanged between Sirius and Cally. He'd obviously been telling her something with his hands, though what it could have been she had no idea. Before she got the chance to ask him, Marcus strode back over to the three he'd left behind. He looked at Hermione and said, "You will need to register your wand with the guards, but they will let you in. Provided, of course, that you swear a Wizard's Oath to validate your identity."

Hermione nodded, understanding. "That's no problem. Let's go." Sirius and Kleit checked in, and the guards had Hermione give a Wizard's Oath that she was who she said she was. They also asked Hermione for her wand. One spouted off the core, the length, and the wood of the wand while the other one wrote down the information onto a piece of parchment. When they were done the parchment disappeared, and the guards let Hermione, Marcus, Sirius, and Kleit into the building.

The first floor was a large, circular room decked in goldish-browns. The tile floor looked like some first year had thrown paint splotches over it during a roughhouse session. On either side of the room were two spiraling stairwells leading to the higher levels of the building. They were five feet across and were lined with golden brown handrails. Hermione figured that the smaller stairwells Sirius had been talking about would appear on the higher floors.

At this point, Marcus turned towards his companions and said, "I will now Apparate ahead of everyone and brief the other Preliums on the situation." He left them standing on the first floor.

Marcus rematerialized at the Apparation point on the top floor of the building, extremely happy that he didn't have to walk up all those stairs. Very few Lorenians had the right to Apparate within the Prelium tower. He now stood in front of two oak doors, decorated elaborately with patterns of leaves and other flora.

Before opening the door, Marcus reviewed their situation in his mind, and what he would respond to each of the questions the Preliums would ask. He knew them all well, or at least well enough to predict what they would say and do. He imagined the room, where each person would be sitting, and put the words they would say in their mouths.

Ersa Balkror of Tralla would sit on the far left of the arch. She was an intense witch, firm in her beliefs and her works. She would get all the information she could out of him before voicing an opinion on the matter. If Balkror had been educated at Brooklan, Marcus was sure she'd have been a Sorcien.

To Balkror's right would be Wallis Endu of Darben. He was a slimy character that Marcus didn't like very much. Wallis was educated in Darben's school of magic, but he'd have been a Sorcien, too. Except, unlike Balkror, Endu was more of the cunning and ambitious type than the curious. He'd try to discredit what Marcus was saying, undermine Marcus's authority.

Coreil's Prelium, Rehs Maren, was about as different from Endu as one could get. Where Endu would plot and scheme against Marcus, Maren would work for him and help his cause. Rehs would have definitely been a Harien if he'd attended Brooklan. Marcus knew he could count on Rehs's support.

Netra Yatuli was Ethilia's Prelium. She was only four feet tall, but her heart was bigger than any he'd ever met. She was generous, kind, caring – essentially everything her political opponents scoffed at. Netra was fiercly loyal to Lorena, but especially to Ethilia. The fact that Darien had betrayed Lorena would not sit well with her, and Marcus was sure she'd side with him in his call for action.

Gregory Starslite of Frigia was one of Endu's allies. Marcus knew the cold, serious man would think his chances of gaining political power would be best by Endu's side. To him, Marcus was weak, far too headstrong for his own good. Starslite reminded Marcus of his father, who'd often said the same thing to him. No, Starslite wouldn't be in favor of a battle.

Marcus next considered Rux Bentel, the Prelium of Opherxies. Rux was another who would have been a Harien. He had been a Bernien of Opherxies, and, like Yatuli, Marcus was positive the fact that a Bernien had betrayed his people wouldn't sit well with the Opherxian.

Marcus didn't even need to think about what side Onya Betreck, Zard's Prelium, would take. She was practically a sister to Maggie. Maggie's family was very close to the Betreck family; in fact, Maggie's mother and Onya's mother were sisters. Onya would listen to his tale, and then trust Marcus's judgment in the final vote.

Now the Yukari and Biundi Preliums were unknown factors. Both cities put big emphasis on Seer prophecies, especially those of Merlin. Both Yukari's Densu Jikara and Biundi's Setma Kish were not exactly Marcus's political allies. Sometimes they sided with Endu and his crowd, and other times they sided with him. He was sure once Sirius got there to tell of his role in this whole mess, they would follow him to the grave.

Marcus pushed the door open and stepped into the room. He thanked his lucky stars that everyone was there already and no one had taken a day off. Marcus needed six votes to get the alliance approved, eight to get the battle approved. Counting the votes as he expected them to go, he knew he would get the alliance approved; no one in their right mind, when presented with true Brotherworlders, would refuse such an alliance. The battle, though, was another story. Marcus thought he could convince Maren, Betreck, Yatuli, and possibly Bentel to vote his way. Sirius could probably swing Jikara and Kish their way. That meant he had seven of the eight necessary votes for approval. Balkror was the only one he wasn't sure of. The woman normally strayed from war, but he might be able to convince her of the need for this battle with Sirius's help.

"So glad you could join us, Ventrius." Endu sneered from his seat near Balkror. "We were about ready to begin."

"Hold your tongue, Endu." Marcus warned. "You are not Prolium." He stepped up to the podium one used to address the Prelium Court. "Today, my fellow leaders, I come to you with news both good and bad. Darien Doren has betrayed Lorena to the Achnid and Wraith."

"What?" Yatuli screeched, outraged. Bentel's eyes grew cold and dangerous. "Achnid _and_ Wraith, did you say?"

Marcus nodded once. "They have partnered together. Machien Forst was taken hostage, along with Cally Derv. She has since escaped and provided us with a valuable spy within the Achnid Empire. But more about that later." He moved in front of the podium.

"Is that your good news, Ventrius?" Starslite questioned him. "That one of the two hostages escaped? How did this happen?" The others started nodding in agreement.

"Certus Calhoun and his team were sent to infiltrate the Achnid/Wraith base. On Doren's watch, the traitor helped capture two of his teammates. Certus and Kleit barely escaped with their lives." Marcus explained. "They shall be arriving shortly with a… guest, a diplomat from another group fighting the Wraith. She will wish to forge an alliance with us."

"What has she that we do not?" Jikara asked suspiciously. "We have been able to hold our own before now."

"Before now the Wraith and Achnid forces were separated." Bentel countered, speaking for the first time. "Trust me when I say that together they will be much more difficult to defeat." He seemed to be almost shaking in anger, probably over the betrayal of the Bernien to Lorena's enemies.

"You spoke of good news, Marcus." Betreck pointed out with a look towards Starslite. "What is the good news? This new diplomat and her people?"

"She is part of it." Marcus said. "But first I must explain primarily why I am here. Not long after Certus and Kleit came to see me, Darien's Patronus entered the room. It told us that we had five days until the Achnid Empire was upon Lorena."

"How do we stop them? What did they want?" Kish demanded.

"Myself and Calhoun," Marcus answered smoothly. "With the help of this diplomat's people, I have no doubt we can head off an attack on Lorena."

"Who exactly _are_ these people you speak of, Ventrius?" Balkror asked, her blue eyes narrowing slightly. "You talk as if they can solve all of our problems. What have they that we do not?"

Marcus knew he couldn't wait any longer before explaining who Hermione's people were. The others were growing weary of his dodging questions. "They live in the Ancestral City of Atlantis, but they are not of the Ancestors."

"Who are they, then? And what right do they have to the Ancestral City?" Kish asked sharply. "The Ancestral City has been lost to us for thousands of years."

"They rediscovered it, Kish." Marcus said. "Their people have been slowly rebuilding it and repairing it. They have fought the Wraith and won several times."

"Who are they, Ventrius?" Endu asked, annoyed. "You have yet to tell us who they are."

He eyed Endu and smiled evilly. "They are Brotherworlders. And we have found our Protector."

That got everyone's attention. Balkror, Endu, Starslite, Jikara, and Kish wanted proof. Bentel was silent, thinking. Maren, Betreck and Yatuli were shocked, but offered no protest to his statement. Those three trusted his word exclusively. If he told them the sky was falling, they'd believe it.

"You have no evidence to show us." Balkror declared. "You cannot prove what you say is true."

"Balkror is right, Ventrius. We can't know for certain that what they say is true." Starslite agreed. "How foolish to expect us to take your word for it."

"His word is better than yours, Starslite." Maren growled, rising from his seat.

Marcus put a placating hand up, telling Maren to remain where he was. "That was not necessary, Maren." He gave the man an exasperated look, but didn't even attempt to hide his smile from him.

The sound of the oak doors slowly opening silenced the hall. Marcus turned, grinning at his companions. "Perfect timing, Certus. My esteemed colleagues were just informing me that they found my expectations of them foolish."

"What were your expectations, Marcus?" Sirius played along, smirking back at his friend and crossing his arms. He stopped halfway to the podium.

"That they would trust me." Marcus answered. "Now we must waste valuable time proving to them that what I say is true."

"Shame. Though I'm not entirely surprised." Sirius commented, walking the rest of the way to the podium. "Where were you?" Kleit and Hermione were close behind him.

"I had just told them of our new friends from Earth, and the fact that we now have our Protector." Marcus answered. "I have not filled in the rest of the details yet."

"Who is this, Marcus?" Endu motioned towards Hermione. "She is not someone I recognize."

"If you listened, Endu," Bentel snarled, "then you would realize that she is the diplomat of the Brotherworlders."

"She can't be. She looks Lorenian. Possibly from Tara, even." Starslite declared, peering at Hermione. "Though what she is wearing I have no clue."

Hermione decided that her time to introduce herself had come. "I am Hermione Granger, and what Marcus has told you is true: I represent a group of people from Earth living in the Pegasus Galaxy. We wish to fight with you against the Wraith and the Achnid." She ignored the comment about her outfit, not wishing to alienate anyone from their cause. "I'm prepared to do anything you require of me to prove who I am."

Silence. No one quite knew what to say to that. Bentel spoke first. "Do you have evidence to support your claim?"

Hermione nodded. "I do. I am a witch, so any magical means to prove myself are acceptable. Veritaserum, a Pensieve, an Oath, whatever you like."

"Veritaserum." Endu demanded, making a small vial of the potion and its antidote appear from thin air. Hermione figured he'd known where both objects were and had simply summoned them.

"Before she takes that," Marcus interrupted, "we should discuss what we're going to ask her."

"Why?" Endu questioned. "We should just get it over with."

"Because if we don't ask the right questions," Bentel turned towards him, "then she can get out of it quicker. That and by the way you're acting I doubt Marcus trusts you enough to stop at the information you need to know."

"I move that Bentel does the questioning," Kish said, with a quick second from Jikara. Bentel nodded to his colleagues while Endu sputtered in outrage.

Endu's face was growing red. "That's out of order."

"A motion like that is never out of order, especially when it has to do with the business we're dealing with." Marcus disagreed. "All those in favor?" A chorus of Ayes showed that only two – Endu and Starslite – voted against the motion. "I think it's safe to say the motion passes. Bentel will question Ms. Granger." He walked forward and picked up the Veritaserum while Bentel moved out from behind the table the Preliums occupied.

"What do we need to know?" Yatuli asked her colleagues. "Obviously full name and place of birth."

"How she got here." Endu added.

"Why she's here." Jikara said simply.

"Whether or not her people truly live in the Ancestral City." Maren contributed. Betreck nodded her agreement.

"And if she knows who the Protector is; if that's a yes, then ask for his name." Kish said thoughtfully. The addition wasn't surprising to Marcus, Sirius, or Kleit, all of whom knew Kish and Jikara's fascination with the old prophecies.

"I will formulate the questions as I see fit." Bentel declared. "Remember that I was trained in interrogation with Veritaserum – I know its effects, and I can tell when someone's getting around them." He said that both as a warning to Hermione, who merely nodded, and as a placatory statement for his colleagues who'd wanted Endu to interrogate her. Truth be told, all of the Preliums realized that, aside from Marcus himself, Bentel was the best qualified to lead the interrogation.

Once handed the vial of Veritaserum, Hermione swallowed it in a single gulp. She immediately felt the potion take effect and knew from the books she'd read on the subject that her eyes were clouded over at the moment.

Bentel looked directly at her and asked, "What is your full name?"

"Hermione Jean Granger."

"Where were you born?"

"London, England." Endu started shuffling his feet – it wasn't a town any of them knew, so she hadn't been born on Lorena and she hadn't grown up in Tara as he'd suspected.

"That isn't a town we recognize. What planet are you from?"

"Earth." This caused more of a stir from the other Preliums. Jikara and Kish's jaws were both slackened, their eyes wide. Maren, Yatuli, and Betreck were all nodding in satisfaction. Endu and Starslite were livid. They both believed that there was some sort of mistake.

"Why are your people in the Pegasus Galaxy?" Bentel asked next.

"We wish to explore the City of Atlantis and the rest of Pegasus." Hermione answered smoothly.

Bentel looked towards Maren. "That answers your question, I think, but I'll ask it anyways." He turned back to Hermione. "Do your people live in Atlantis?"

"Those of us in the Pegasus Galaxy live in Atlantis. The rest of us live on Earth."

Bentel inclined his head towards her. "Why are you, specifically, here on Lorena?"

"I am here to offer an alliance with the people of Earth to the people of Lorena." Hermione said clearly.

"And why do you want to offer such an alliance?"

"My superiors have asked me to offer it."

Bentel frowned, suspicious. "But you do not believe in having an alliance with us?"

"I fully believe an alliance would be a good thing for both our worlds."

"Why?"

"There's a saying on Earth that goes 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. Your people and my people are both enemies to the Wraith and all who choose to partner with them. We could help each other in our goal to stop the Wraith from overtaking the galaxy." Hermione elaborated.

"And she's done." Sirius declared, worried about what they'd ask next. They were finishing the agreed-upon questions and he was concerned that Bentel would start fishing for information they didn't need, information that Hermione could tell them of her own free will.

"No, she's not." Kish disagreed. "She still has a few more questions yet."

"He's right, Calhoun." Bentel confirmed. "We've yet to discover who the Protector is."

Sirius threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine. Ask her that, but don't ask her anything more. She can explain further _after_ you give her the antidote."

"Sounds like someone has something to hide." Endu commented to Sirius. "What are you playing at?"

Sirius glared at Endu, but Marcus backed him off. "Certus is simply concerned for Ms. Granger's privacy, that is all. He has had poor experiences with misusing Veritaserum in the past."

"If I can continue?" Bentel asked impatiently. His feet were nearly numb for standing so long. "Let us finish this." The others agreed, and he went on. "Are you aware of Merlin's prophecy concerning the Protector?"

"Yes, I am." Hermione confirmed.

"Do you know who the Protector of Lorena is?"

"Yes." She declared. Kish and Jikara were nearly fainting now. The Protector had arrived! There was no way they wouldn't vote for an alliance with the Brotherworld if the Protector was involved.

Bentel shot a glance at his colleagues, who nodded him on. He looked towards Sirius and Marcus, who both waved him forward. "Would those of us in this room know who the Protector is?"

"Yes."

"What is the Protector's name?"

"He has two full names." Hermione said, causing Sirius' eyes to shoot upwards in surprise. He must really be more of a Lorenian than he thought he was, but he obviously hadn't quite given up his Earthly heritage yet.

"Do different people know him by different names?"

"Yes."

"Then tell us the name that the Lorenians would know him by." She remained silent, so Bentel rephrased his statement. "What is the name the Lorenians would know him by?"

"Certus Calhoun."

**A/N: Yes, I do realize I'm terribly evil for leaving it at that spot, and I do know that it is a cliffhanger. I simply couldn't resist, especially considering that I'll be updating again over the weekend. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	18. More Diplomacy and Preparations

The room immediately erupted into hysterics. All of the Preliums were standing now, and all of them were shouting at each other. Only Bentel had a level head. Endu and Startslite wanted more proof than Veritaserum could provide. The others wanted to know how their lead Bernien was supposed to fulfill the prophecy when he'd grown up on Lorena.

"She lies!" Endu screeched. "That's not possible!"

Bentel faced him angrily, his patience finally snapping. "Lying isn't possible under Veritaserum. She's telling the truth, as incredible as it seems." Bentel declared, glaring at each of them in turn before giving Hermione the antidote.

"There must be a mistake, Bentel. Surely you aren't suggesting…" Starslite began.

"There is no mistake, Starslite." Sirius cut him off. "I am the one the prophecy speaks of." He paused, looking at Bentel. "My story is long, so you may want to sit back down." Bentel did so, but not until after he'd conjured simple wooden chairs for the four visitors. The others gratefully took their seats while Sirius remained standing at the podium.

"You had best explain yourself, Calhoun." Balkror warned. "I, for one, will not believe you unless you provide ample evidence." The others nodded in agreement.

Sirius gave her a look. "That's what I'm about to do, Prelium Balkror." _If I can ever get the chance,_ he thought to himself, just barely able to stop his tongue from speaking the words aloud. "I was not born Lorenian, nor is my birth name Certus Calhoun. I was born on Earth, in England, as Sirius Black. I am the Brotherworlder who became Lorenian."

Kish's eyes narrowed. "But how did you become Lorenian?"

"The short version," Sirius began, "is that Godric Gryffindor snatched me from the arms of death and placed me on Lorena 13 years ago. I was found by Marcus Ventrius in the middle of the forest. I had no idea who I was, or where I'd been. It wasn't until the betrayal that I began to remember my past. You heard Hermione – I am as much Lorenian as I am Brotherworlder."

"Godric Gryffindor has been dead for centuries." Starslite scoffed.

"No, he hasn't. He – along with the other Ancestors – evolved. Essentially, they live as pure energy." Sirius explained. "They are all still very much alive, but they live in a different plane of existence than we do. I don't understand it very well, but I'm sure one of the other Brotherworlders can explain it better." He was thinking of Rodney, specifically.

"Why didn't you remember until the betrayal?" Yatuli questioned. All of them knew of the one he spoke about – the betrayal of Darien Doren.

"He'd been betrayed before, by the Rat." Jikara answered, "That is what the prophecy speaks of."

Sirius nodded. "Peter Pettigrew was – is? – the Rat." He looked at Hermione. "I don't know if he's still alive or not." She shrugged. She had no idea either. "It's not important right now. His Animagus form was a rat, and it suited him all too well."

"How so?" Endu inquired.

"He betrayed him, obviously." Maren said sarcastically. "That's where this is going."

"Maren, enough." Marcus said. "Peace. Let Certus finish his tale."

"Please." Sirius added, though he paled under Marcus's frustrated look. "Where was I?"

"Wormtail," Hermione supplied, smirking at him. She knew he was aware of where he'd left off; he was just trying to make the Preliums feel bad for interrupting him again.

"Right. Well, Pettigrew – or Wormtail, as we called him – was part of my circle of friends. He betrayed the man I considered a brother, James Potter, and his wife Lily." Sirius explained. "Because of him, I spent twelve years in Azkaban Prison for a crime I didn't commit." Yatuli seemed angered by that fact. She was always the most compassionate of the Preliums.

"Then who is the Snake?" Jikara asked after a long silence.

"Darien Doren is the Snake. Our source tells us that he's a Snake Mage." Kleit answered, speaking for the first time that day. "You know what he did." The others nodded.

"Who're the Otter, Duck, and Eagle, then?" Balkror asked. "They are spoken of in the Prophecy, too."

"Those I've connected to the Patronus forms of some of my closest friends." Sirius stated, and then he elaborated. "Marcus has an Eagle Patronus, Kleit a Duck, and Hermione an Otter."

"Ms Granger is one of your closest friends?" Starslite asked. "You know her?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes, to both questions. She was one of my godson's best friends all through school. And she's proved her trust a thousand times over to both me and my godson over the years." He and Hermione smiled at each other. "She's been through things even veteran Berniens haven't survived. She helped my godson defeat the most powerful Dark Lord on Earth since Grindewald. Without her, my godson, and one other wizard, Earth would have fallen into another world war."

Endu smirked. "Who in Merlin's name is Grindewald? And what is a Dark Lord?"

Sirius had to fight to keep his patience and make his voice steady. "Picture the Achnid Emperor. Now split his soul into seven and spread the pieces all over Lorena. He can't die until each piece is destroyed, and he keeps one of them near him at all times." He met Endu's eyes. "Try and kill him."

"What Sirius speaks of," Hermione stood, "is a Dark Lord who called himself Voldemort that was just as vicious as the Achnid Empire, from what I've heard. I was a part of the Trio that ended his reign of terror over the Wizarding world on Earth. But that's a long story for another day." She looked at each of them in turn. They seemed to have more respect for her now, as they well should. "Today, I ask that you fulfill part of the prophecy. Today, I ask that you help Sirius partner with the Brotherworld. Today, I ask that you forge an alliance between our two peoples. Together we can defeat the Achnid and Wraith. Together we can end the Battles of Old once and for all." She finished, and the courtroom was silent. "Who will join us?" She didn't dare look at Sirius, for if she broke eye contact now it'd be viewed as a sign of weakness. No, she really couldn't afford to go looking for his support. How she wished Ronon were here. He'd be standing next to her, and that'd be enough to give her the strength to get through to the thick skulls amongst the Preliums.

"Motion to vote on the alliance," Maren said clearly, though his voice was shaking. Hermione nodded once in his direction, showing her appreciation for his bravery.

"If I may, Maren," Jikara interrupted. "Calhoun, what is your plan to end the Battles of Old? I will not agree to an alliance until I have heard your plans."

Hermione had thought this would happen, so she'd come prepared. "We will combine both the Bernien forces of Lorena and the forces of the Ancient… er, Ancestral cities to fight the Wraith and Achnids."

"From what we could see," Sirius cut in, "the planet we visited was the base of operations for their alliance. Here's what we were thinking we'd do…"

* * *

_Atlantis_

"Harry, could I talk to you for a minute?" Sam asked, pulling him aside. He'd been helping Maggie with some sort of experimental magic. "What were you planning on telling our soldiers about how you've gotten your expertise?" She was referring to the fact that, in half an hour, he'd be leading a training session of the SG teams and the Atlantis teams that would be joining them on the mission. Later that day, if all went well on Lorena, they'd hold mock skirmishes with Berniens. Until then, Harry was going to teach them what he could on his own about battle magic.

Harry sighed. He'd been wondering the same thing, but he supposed that, for this mission, the Earth teams would need to know his true past. And since the Atlantis teams would be dealing with Achnids for awhile after the battle, they needed to know all they could, too. They didn't have time to wait for Sirius and the others to get back, either. The mission was set for tomorrow evening. "Er, I think I need to tell them what I am. Obviously it'd be a waste of time to do anything else. I need to talk about it with General O'Neill, though."

"You don't think that'll be a problem with your people?" Sam asked. She didn't want to cause an international incident.

Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. Besides, as head Auror it's well within my authority to train soldiers for a fight against wizards. Even if those soldiers are muggles. The only thing I need to know is whether or not there are any witches or wizards on these teams. I don't want to blow their cover without talking to them first."

Sam nodded and turned on her radio. "Sir, do you have a minute?" She asked into the device.

"_What's going on, Carter?"_ Jack answered.

"Harry's wondering if he can tell the teams going on the mission about who he is. They need training, sir, and they can't wait until the Lorenians get back. There's just not enough time. He wanted to make sure there weren't any magic users on the teams before he blew their cover."

"_They're all in the research fields, Carter. They wouldn't put magic users on field teams. We don't want to attract more attention than we need. He doesn't have to worry about anything like that. And all of our people are American, so there's no need to keep someone out who'll tell their government about magic. The true's same for your field teams, I think."_

"It is if we leave the scientists on one of the cities, sir. The fact that we need more people manning the cities than fighting on the ground will be a good enough excuse for that. That's all I had, sir. Carter out." She turned off the radio and related the information to Harry. Since they were in the control room, she brought him over to the com. Tapping the button to turn the device on, she said, "Attention all personnel, this is Colonel Carter. Scientists from field teams fighting in the upcoming mission are to remain in one of the three cities to help with repairs. Your department heads will tell you where to go. Carter out."

"That makes everything a lot easier," Harry said, smiling. "Where can we hold this? There are a lot of people to train, so I'll need a big room."

Carter shrugged. "We use a room on the Eastern pier for our mass training exercises. It's a bit remote, but it's probably your best bet. Sheppard can show you where to go. I think he's working with Zelenka and McKay in the Chair Room." She looked around and called, "Dr. Hanseth, a moment?" A blonde woman with blue eyes wandered over. She had a patch of the English flag sewn onto her uniform. "Can you show Mr. Potter to the Chair Room, please?"

"Certainly." The girl smiled brightly at Harry, looking him over from head to toe. "Dr. Julia Hanseth, at your service. Right this way." She shook his hand and headed towards the transporter. "What brings you to Atlantis, Mr. Potter?"

"I'm a consultant for this mission. My family's been involved in Earth magical practices for centuries." Harry shrugged. "Not sure how much Wicca will be able to help here. This is far beyond what I'm used to."

"IOA get you involved?" Dr. Hanseth asked knowingly, grinning at his surprised nod. "They try anything to get some people over here. Manipulative, nosy blokes they are. You from England?"

Harry blinked at the rapid change of topic, thinking that Dr. Hanseth seemed like Luna Lovegood. "Yeah. Born and bred. I grew up in Surrey."

"Ah." Dr. Hanseth said. "I'm a Londoner by birth, but I grew up in Liverpool. Dad was a marine biologist, so he moved there for his job. It's how I fell in love with the sea."

"I was wondering what your doctorate was. Marine biology, then." Harry said, shrugging as they stepped into the transporter. "That must be interesting here."

She nodded, her eyes bright. "The ocean covers almost 90% of this planet. And there're creatures here no one's ever seen before. Hold on." She punched a button on the display and they were teleported to the wing the Chair Room was in. "Nearly there. Anyways, Atlantis is an incredible workplace. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect. It'd be better without the Wraith, after all. But it's just about a scientist's dream."

Harry grinned. "I'm sure. My friend works here, just started a couple days ago. She always said she'd do something worthwhile."

Hanseth laughed cheerily. "Who's your friend?" They rounded a corner.

"Her… she's Dr. Madeline Marshall, the new diplomat." Harry answered, just barely catching himself from calling Hermione by her true name. "We went to the same private school in Scotland."

"I've not met her yet, but it's good to know there's another Englishwoman on base." Hanseth said. "What school did you two go to?"

"Sherriman Institute of Higher Learning," Harry answered. That was the name muggleborns used for their records. He'd heard a couple of his Aurors talking about it. Sherriman was known in the muggle world for its exclusivity and its incredible programs.

"Really?" Hanseth asked, her eyebrow raised. "I'm impressed. How many degrees does your friend have?"

"Two, in linguistics and diplomatic relations." Harry answered.

Hanseth shook her head. "Sounds like she'd get along right well with Dr. Jackson. Have you met him?"

"You mean the Earth base's top archeologist? Yeah, I have. He and General O'Neill filled me in on the program." Harry answered easily. "Madeline probably would get along well with him, from what I've seen. They haven't had much of a chance to get to know each other yet."

Hanseth nodded. "Understandable. Well, here we are." She motioned to the door they'd stopped in front of. "You need anything else, just let me know. Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Potter."

Harry grinned. "You too, Dr. Hanseth. See you 'round." He stepped in front of the door and it slid open. Dr. Hanseth left the hall just as he went into the room. It was a big, circular room with weird, pulsating tubes leading to a chair in the centre of the room. John Sheppard was laying back in the chair, his eyes closed. Rodney and another man Harry had yet to meet were arguing over a laptop. Harry wandered to where John was sitting. "Sleeping on the job, are we?" Harry asked jokingly.

"Nope." John said. "Closing my eyes helps me work the Chair. Not that it's a big deal right now. They're so busy arguing they haven't noticed you walk in yet. I bet it'll be another five minutes."

Harry turned his attention to the scientists. "… just listen to what I'm saying," Rodney was shouting, "maybe you'd be able to _do this on your own_. It's not that hard."

The man next to him turned to him, red faced. "And if _you_ would look at these readings, you'd know that something's not right."

"You aren't reading them right, that's what's wrong!" Rodney said, rolling his eyes. "Look, _that's_ the power source and _that's_ the output level. It isn't the other way around!"

"I know that, Rodney!" The man went into a stream of words spoken in another language. He seemed incensed. "You're so bloody arrogant!"

"Who's that?" Harry asked finally. It was amusing to watch someone rip into Dr. McKay like that. Honestly, the man was more arrogant than Malfoy. Well, at least Dr. McKay had a valid reason for his arrogance.

"That's Dr. Zelenka. He's from Switzerland." John answered. "Hence the stream of cusswords in a foreign language. Rodney likes to push his buttons."

"I heard that!" Rodney shouted to John, who just smiled back at Harry. "What do you want, Potter?"

"I need John." Harry said. "Carter wants him to help me set up the training exercise in…" he glanced at his watch, "twenty minutes, now." John immediately sat up in the chair and started heading out of the room. Harry smiled. "See you later, Dr. McKay."

"Great. _Now_ look what you've done!" Rodney shouted at Zelenka. "If you weren't…" The door slid shut, leaving Harry and John in blessed silence.

John looked at Harry and grinned. "_Thank you_," he said sincerely, making Harry laugh. "Where does she want us to have this training exercise?"

"In the room on the Eastern pier you normally use." Harry said. "Supposedly it's big enough."

John nodded. "It is. Come on. Let's get out of here before they figure out we're just outside the door." He led Harry back down the hall and into the transporter. Within minutes, they were on the Eastern pier. "How much time do we have left, and do the others know where to go?"

"_Training session starting in fifteen minutes. All participating personnel report to the Eastern pier training room_," a voice said over the all-call.

"Guess that answers those questions." John said. He looked around the room. It was long; probably about 300 yards in size. It had windows lining one wall that peered out into the vast ocean surrounding Atlantis.

"May I?" Harry asked, brandishing his wand and two bags of apple slices he'd pulled from the lunch line. John nodded, not entirely sure what the wizard was going to do. John watched as Harry went around and put the apples at various positions in the room. Then, to his amazement, Harry turned some of the apple slices into large boulders, just big enough for someone to hide behind. Other apples he turned into dummies. A couple of apples he took to the far end of the room and made a stage. And the last apple was made into another dummy and placed on the stage.

"What are the dummies for?" John asked. He couldn't see how they would help – none of his men could use magic. There were about five of them, spread out at ten yard intervals and scattered across the room. They were made of hay and had a bull's eye painted on their head. A 'wand' hung in the left arm of each dummy.

Instead of answering him, Harry turned and faced one of the dummies. He said, "Rictumsempra," but before the spell could hit the dummy spurred into life and cast a shield. Harry dodged the rebounded curse as it shot towards him instead. It burned a small hole in the opposite wall. "They won't be as good as a live person, but it'll give them an idea of what to expect."

John just shook his head. "Why'd you learn how to do that?"

"It's my job to train new Aurors sometimes," Harry explained, "and we're not always at the training fields. I learned to do that when we're on a mission so we can keep training if it's needed."

"Aurors?" John asked.

"They're like the Berniens from Lorena." Harry explained. John nodded, just as the door slid open and people started filing in. It took a while before Harry recognized anybody, but he could tell the difference between the two military uniforms. Those from the SGC were wearing green BDU's and black t-shirts. Those from Atlantis were wearing blue cargo pants and black t-shirts. He noticed that they grouped themselves by their base. Most of the Lanteans hung around other Lanteans, while most of the SGC personnel hung around other SGC personnel. It was only SG-1 and SGA-1 that broke the trend – they stood talking and joking with each other like they were old friends.

"Harry," Rodney called, "How long is this going to take? I've got other things I need to get to."

"It'll take as long as it takes, Dr. McKay." Harry replied. "I'm here to prevent the loss of lives, and I'm going to see to it that we minimize the chance of such an occurrence." He looked to John. "Everyone here, Colonel?"

John counted the heads of those in the room from his base. "Yep."

Harry turned to Jack, who was standing with SG-1. The General didn't even need to look – he'd been watching his men as they arrived. "Present and accounted for."

"Good, then we'll begin." Harry said, jogging over to the stage. He took out his wand and pointed it at his throat. "_Sonorus_," Harry enchanted, and his voice became loud and booming. "**What you've just seen is magic. It's my job to show you what you can expect from magic users, or witches and wizards, during battle. My name is Harry Potter, and I'm the head of the British Auror Department, essentially a group very similar to your FBI. Yes, I am from Earth, and yes, I am a wizard. I don't think I need to reiterate the fact that the security level for this is far higher than even the Stargate program. Of the people in this room, only two knew about magic a week ago – myself and General O'Neill." **That caused a stir from the audience. One SGC soldier raised his hand. **"Yes?"** Harry looked at the soldier that had raised his hand.

"So we aren't supposed to tell anyone else about magic, then?" He asked, frowning a little. Harry noticed a few of his fellows sniggering at him.

"No, Matheson, you can't tell anyone else. No one outside this room is to know that magic exists on Earth. Got it?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "We had to get special permission for Mr. Potter here to tell you all about this. So what's with all of these doohickeys here?" He motioned towards the dummies.

Harry and John shared an evil grin. **"They're going to help with the training until we get some live people to work with."**

"How?" Another soldier asked challengingly. "They're just dummies." John had to fight back laughter. _Oh, is he in for it_.

"**Your name, soldier?" **Harry asked, the Sonorus still in effect.

"Major Thompson, uh… sir." Thompson said, not sure how to address him. He figured that if this guy was the head of the British magical FBI, then he probably outranked him.

"**Everyone gather up here so I can take this bloody charm off**_**.**_" Harry said, and the group stepped up just below the stage. Harry took the charm off. "Thank you. That's better. Now, Major Thompson, I think you were just volunteering to demonstrate what the dummies can do." Thompson rose his eyebrows, but didn't argue. A few of the people in the room who'd known about magic before now were shaking their heads at his foolishness. "Stand up on the stage here, in front of the dummy. Yeah, that's it." Harry watched him get settled before he got off the stage. "Stage Dummy, Test Mode." He said, pointing his wand at the dummy. Harry smiled – this was going to be _fun_.

**A/N: And that's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed!**


	19. Even More Diplomacy and Preparations

"So say we agree to this alliance," Endu began once Sirius had finished outlining their battle plans, "What do you have to offer us? Other than your assistance with the Wraith and Achnids, for hopefully they will not be around much longer." He didn't notice the glares that were sent his way from the other Preliums.

Hermione stood. "We're living in the Ancestral City, aren't we? We have access to information that's been lost to your people for thousands of years. We've already answered some of the riddles held within books at Brooklan Castle. We can offer you a trade of information."

"Sounds like a good deal to me, Endu." Maren said. "I move to vote."

"Seconded." Jikara said, echoed by Kish and Yatuli.

"All those in favor of an alliance with the Brotherworld?" Marcus asked. Nine of the ten hands (including Marcus's hand) rose into the air. Sirius smiled approvingly. If the vote stayed the same, they'd have more than enough to approve the usage of soldiers for the battle. The room erupted into applause when they saw that they had enough. Even Starslite decided to side with the alliance, much to Endu's dismay.

"Motion to vote on the battle plans," Yatuli said after the applause died down. "We should just get it all done now." The others nodded, but Endu looked incensed.

"You wish to rush through something as important as this?" Endu spat to them. "We need to think this through."

"We don't have time, Endu." Maren argued. "It'll take hours to get the Berniens together, and Merlin knows how long it'll take them to train the Brotherworlders. Not to mention all the other things that need to get done."

"So we'll postpone until night after next." Endu suggested."I don't want to waste lives needlessly."

"Should have thought of that before you sent us on the Hantel Raid six years ago, Endu." Sirius growled. "Don't forget that I was one of the Berniens you sent there." Hermione sent him a questioning glance, but Sirius shook his head ever so slightly. He'd explain it to her later, if she really wanted to know.

"That wasn't my fault!" Endu retorted. "That was Gadshaw's fault. He was the commanding officer at the time."

"Blame a dead man for your own mistakes!" Kleit shouted at him as he stood. "You were the one who pushed for the Raid."

"Enough, Certus, Kleit." Marcus stood. "That is enough. You are not helping _anything_ right now." The properly chastened Berniens lowered their heads and sat back down. "Now, we've had a motion to proceed with voting on the battle plans. Is there a second?"

"Seconded," nearly everyone in the room said at the same time. Predictably, only Endu remained silent. "All those in favor of the battle plans?" Just as predictably, all of the Preliums – except for Endu – raised their hands. "All those opposed?"

Endu raised his hand, and Marcus met his eyes. "Your opposition is duly noted in the records." Endu's nostrils flared as he realized what Marcus's words meant. That record could either be a blessing politically or a curse. If the mission went south, like Endu believed it would, then he'd look like the only Prelium with half a brain. It'd give him trust in the eyes of the populace. If the mission went well, he'd look horrible for fighting against something that effectively crippled the Achnid and Wraith.

"Now, Preliums, by your leave, the four of us will gather the Bernien forces we require and depart for the City of the Ancestors." Marcus said, motioning for the others to stand. They followed his command and stood before the Preliums.

The other Preliums nodded, and the four took their leave. Hermione said, "Thank you," as she left the room with the others.

* * *

_Atlantis_

"_Stage Dummy – Test mode," _Thompson heard Potter say as the man pointed his wand towards the dummy in front of him. Suddenly the dummy spurred to life. In a flash, it'd lifted its wand and started firing spells at the unsuspecting muggle soldier. He just barely managed to dodge the first spell, but the second burned a small hole in his bulletproof vest. "Shit!" He screeched, poking his finger into the hole. The next spell the dummy cast sent him flying on his rump to the other side of the room.

"_Exercise concluded,"_ The dummy intoned, and the room erupted into applause and laughter. Harry went over to where Thompson had fallen and offered the soldier a hand up. Thompson grudgingly accepted and was pulled to his feet by the Auror.

"That's the first lesson of the day. Never underestimate your opponents. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it isn't capable of defeating you." Harry looked around, and the more veteran soldiers in the room were nodding in agreement. "Major Thompson did something that most of my Aurors fail to do the first time they go against a dummy. He dodged a spell." Thompson looked in surprise at Harry, who just smiled back at him. "You can go back to your team now, Major." The man wandered over to where his comrades were standing. "Any other questions? No? In that case, each of you will be going against a dummy so I know where everyone's starting. If you survive two minutes against your dummy or succeed in neutralizing it _without_ using projectiles, you'll be helping me train the others."

"Sir," another soldier raised his hand. "Why can't we use projectiles?"

"Magic shields can't stop them." Harry explained. "I don't have enough dummies for everyone to shoot one and get it over with."

"If shields can't stop projectiles," Thompson began, "then what are we doing here?"

"Muggle technology, even things like pens, doesn't work in areas of highly concentrated magic." Harry answered. "So you need to be ready to fight a magic user without your weapons, should you come across one. That's why you need to be able to neutralize a dummy before you can go. Or at least be able to dodge the spells long enough to survive an encounter with a magic user." He got back up onto the stage and moved towards the dummy. "Most of you won't be part of the group that attacks the Achnid base, but our reports suggest that there are Achnid soldiers on the Wraith hive ship in the area. They will be just as good, if not better, than these dummies. The dummies are set to Auror level. If you can beat them, you could beat one of my officers."

"We couldn't beat you, then, huh?" A girl cheekily asked, grinning.

Harry shook his head. "Not to sound conceited, but no. You couldn't beat me without magic."

"Unless we shoot you." Thompson amended.

Harry smirked. "You're really asking for it, aren't you?" The room rumbled in laughter.

"Prove it and maybe I'll stop." Thompson challenged, and his fellows groaned around him.

"You don't have to, Mr. Potter," Jack said. "Thompson's just a knucklehead."

Harry shrugged. "If it'll make this easier, I don't see why not. But I'll wait until the Berniens arrive. It'll be much more realistic if I can demonstrate my abilities against other magic users." He smirked. "Maybe I can get Certus to show me how good Lorenians train their Bernien commanders." Jack, SG-1, and SGA-1 chuckled. It would be interesting to see the godson fight against the godfather. "For now, I want you to break into groups. Let's see… There're fifty people in this room, so groups of ten. Try to match up with people outside your normal teams as much as possible. Once you have your team, have everyone gather 'round a dummy."

Teyla and Ronon immediately grouped themselves with Daniel Jackson and Vala MalDoran from SG-I. John and Rodney paired themselves with O'Neill and Teal'c. Mitchell went with the commanding officer of SG-3, and the other teams spread themselves amongst the groups the two lead teams formed. Soon enough, they were organized into the teams Harry had called for. "Good." Harry said when everyone was situated. _"Sonorus_," he said, pointing his wand at his throat again. "**Now, each dummy has a red spot on its head. Neutralize the dummy by hitting that spot with your fist.** **You have one minute to come up with a battle plan. After each round, I'll be pulling one soldier from each group to test them against the Stage Dummy. I'll also be shortening your planning time and rotating your groups every five minutes. We're trying to make this as realistic as possible**. **Your minute starts… now**." Harry cancelled the Sonorus charm and cast a spell that heightened his hearing over his ears.

At the dummy on the right closest to the stage, Daniel immediately took control of his group. "All right, here's what we'll do. Treat it like a game of Kick the Can." The three aliens around him drew blank expressions. They'd figured it out soon enough. "While everyone else distracts the dummy, three or four people should try to go up and hit its face. That group can rotate every couple of tries so it doesn't catch on." The others nodded, and they proceeded to designate the smaller attack groups.

It was an interesting idea, Harry had to admit, but it was one that all of the trainees came up with. Normally, though, it took them a few tries to come up with it. Harry turned his attention to the group on the left of the stage, where John and Jack had taken charge.

"Who's the best at dodging bullets in this group?" John asked, raising his own hand. O'Neill raised his, too, as did Teal'c. "Here's the plan. Teal'c, General O'Neill, and I will try to neutralize the dummy by sneaking up behind it. Everyone else needs to distract it from what we're doing. Is that OK with you, General?" The older officer nodded, and the group broke their huddle. Harry turned away so they wouldn't know he'd been watching them.

They had another theory that most trainees didn't think about until a few attempts into the training session. This might go quicker than he originally thought. Harry smiled to himself. It was nice to work with people who've had combat training. Unfortunately, the other three groups were too far away for his charm to work, so he took off the spell and just watched. Mitchell had taken command of his group, and Thompson had taken command of his. The third group's commander was someone from Atlantis Harry had yet to meet. Harry wished they had just a little more room, so that the groups could have spread out a bit more. Ah well, it would have to do for now.

* * *

_Lorena_

"So your commander decided I wasn't trustworthy enough to go with them, did he?" Sari asked. She hadn't spoken the entire time they'd been in the Bernien Headquarters. She'd silently been fuming to herself about the injustices of Lorena and how much she hated the planet. But then she saw Darien in the picture on Cally's wall of her team, and she remembered why she was doing this in the first place. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd made the right decision. If nothing else, the two could have their relationship without hiding it.

Cally had just walked back into the room. She'd been reporting her intelligence to the squad leader of the Spy Division. She also added that Darien was now an Achnid working for them, and explained the situation behind that. Before she left, Cally had put an alarm on the door, so if Sari had tried to snoop about Cally would have known. It went a long way in Cally's mind that Sari had stayed put the entire time she was gone. "Certus is slow to trust, Sari. Remember that he didn't see what I did of your relationship with Darien."

"This is true." Sari grudgingly admitted. "He did not see the Patronus." She grinned despite herself.

"How long have you been together?" Cally asked, curious. She'd seen Darien's Patronus not long before the betrayal. It'd been the same as it always was. She took the seat at her desk, and Sari sat down opposite her.

"Only two days. He met me just after he turned." Sari said. "He spoke to the Emperor as soon as we were done talking. I heard about this discussion, and I went up to him later that day, even though I knew the Emperor wouldn't want to 'share'."

"He must truly love you, if you are the embodiment of his happy thoughts." Cally remarked. That was what a Patronus form was – it wasn't an embodiment of a Witch or Wizard's personality, like so many believed. It was an embodiment of that Witch or Wizard's happiest thought. Cally's was a wolf because her happiest thought came from having a family willing to send their children to Brooklan just so they could all be together. Her brothers hadn't been accepted to Zard's Academy of Magic. So, the pack mentality that Cally's memory exhibited was perfectly embodied by the wolf form.

Sally nodded. "This is true."

The door opened, and a Bernien stood in the archway. "Second Derv, you are requested at the Portal. Your guest's presence is requested as well." He used her formal title as one of Certus's 2IC's.

Cally's eyes narrowed. "Who is making the request?"

"Commander Calhoun and Prolium Ventrius." The Bernien – Cally thought his name was Hansel Janen – replied. "They need your presence immediately. We are departing for the City of the Ancestors." His skepticism was eclipsed by the excitement in his voice."

"How many Berniens are gathered at the Portal?" Cally asked. She knew there were a little over a hundred living in Tara, and nearly three hundred living in Zard. Merlin only knew how many there were in the other cities.

Janen seemed to hesitate for a second, casting a glance in Sari's direction. "Nearly two hundred. Commander Calhoun and Prolium Ventrius hope they'll be enough. Another two hundred are on hold." She gaped at him – never, in her seven years as a Bernien, had something of this magnitude taken place. Even the Hentel Raid had only been one hundred Berniens. What was Certus planning?

Cally turned to Sari. "Come on. Bernien Janen, this is Mage Chinsen. She will be assisting us during the mission. Do not ask questions about her past – that is a direct order. Spread it around the other Berniens."

"Yes, Second Derv." Janen replied. "Shall I Apparate Mage Chinsen to the Portal?"

"No, I'll do it. Tell Commander Calhoun that we're on our way." Cally replied. Janen Apparated out of the room and Cally turned back to Sari. "Let's go." She grabbed Sari's wrist and Apparated to the Portal. She started fighting her way through the horde of Berniens surrounding the Portal. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to reach the Portal, she pulled her wand from her holster. Shooting red sparks into the air and adding a popping noise for show, Cally effectively got the attention of the Berniens surrounding them. "I am Second Cally Derv! Clear a path!" Dutifully, the Berniens stepped aside and formed a path to the Portal. Up at the end of the path stood Certus, Marcus, Kleit, and the diplomat from the City of the Ancestors. "Thank you," she said to the soldiers before walking down to where Certus and the others stood. Soon enough, everyone had gone back to jabbering like crazy. Cally shook her head. "Can't we ever get them to stop jabbering?" She asked over the buzz of noise.

"You just did." Certus sounded impressed. "Good job, Derv."

Cally smiled at the praise, but immediately went into a smirk. "So what's this all about, Calhoun? Got a girl on Achnia you're trying to impress?"

"As vulgar as that would be," he said, adding a quick "Sorry, but it's true," to Sari, "No. This is the End-Time Army, mate." Dr. Marshall started laughing, but the others drew blank expressions.

"End-Time Army?" Cally asked, not familiar with the term. "What in Merlin's name is that?" Dr. Marshall started laughing harder, and Certus's expression turned to one of shock.

"You're not a true Believer?" He asked. "Have you taken the Mark of the Beast? Have you fallen from God?" Dr. Marshall was beside herself now, clutching her stomach as she slid to the grass-laden ground.

By that time, Cally had figured out that he was joking. Dr. Marshall's condition was proof enough of that. She played along anyways. "Yeah. They got me by promising Gergals." Now the Lorenians started laughing, but Dr. Marshall looked confused. A glance behind her and Cally saw that Sari just looked bored with the whole thing.

"They're baked goods like cookies," Certus explained to Dr. Marshall, still chuckling. "Seriously, though," Dr. Marshall snorted and started laughing again, and this time Kleit and Marcus joined in. "Shut up, you lot, you know what I mean. Anyways, this is the army that will End the Battles of Old, if you get my drift." The others were still laughing by the time he finished his explanation. "Will you shut it? By Merlin's name, you're worse than Peter!" Certus's face fell.

Everyone was deathly quiet. Only the buzz from the other Berniens filled the silence that fell upon the small group by the Portal. Even some of the Berniens nearby had stopped their jabbering and watched now with interest.

Cally and Sari were confused. Who was this Peter? What had Certus been referring to with the 'Seriously' jab? Neither had any clue, but Cally knew Certus well enough to know when he was upset by something. Certus's eyes were staring off into space, and he wore an expression of deep sorrow. The odd thing, though, was the fact that his eyes were narrowed dangerously. She'd only ever seen that when he was absolutely livid about something, and that happened rarely. "Certus? Is everything alright? What's going on?" Cally asked after a long silence. "What's wrong, Certus?" She got no answer.

Dr. Marshall moved closer to Certus, and said, "Sirius, Sirius, it's all right." She turned to Marcus. "Watch him. I'm going to dial the 'gate and see how we're getting everyone over to Atlantis." That just confused Cally even more. Who did she think she was, ordering the Prolium of Lorena around like that?

Marcus nodded. He moved in front of Certus and looked into his eyes. "Sirius, you are on Lorena, not Earth. Remember – on Lorena, you are Certus Calhoun, Bernien Commander. Now is not the time for mourning." He held Certus's shoulders until the Bernien commander snapped back to himself.

"Wait, Marcus." Cally interrupted, gripping Marcus's shoulder. "Are you saying that _Certus Calhoun_ is from Earth? What's going on here?" She was whispering, so the Berniens around them wouldn't hear. She turned to Sari and the listening Berniens. "Whatever's said or done here is not spoken of, _ever_. That's a direct order from a Second. Understood?" The Berniens nodded. A few of them turned away without another word, but three still watched. Cally recognized them as Taran Berniens.

Marcus shifted. "That is a long story we will discuss with everyone. That way Certus only has to deal with the memories once. For now, suffice it to say that Merlin's Prophecy will soon be fulfilled."

Cally's stomach dropped, the pieces finally falling together. She nodded in agreement. Behind her, Sari inclined her head towards Marcus in concordance.

Dr. Marshall, in the meantime, had gotten the Portal running. She'd been talking to her people, but now she wandered over to Cally and the others. "We're ready. They said to come in teams of fifty."

Certus nodded. "That's easy. We'll just have them rank up in their platoons." He pointed his wand at himself and said, 'Sonorus'.

"Wait, Certus," Marcus stopped him. "We don't have them in normal platoons, remember? For this mission, a platoon is twenty people. You'll want two platoons instead of one. We'll just go in groups of forty until we get everyone over there."

Certus turned back to the soldiers, saying "**Tara One and Zard One, fall into four lines. Stay in your platoons. Keep straight, and head directly into the Portal. Once you arrive at our destination, follow the instructions of those on the other side. Second Korit will lead you through. The rest of you, be prepared to do the same." **Certus watched as the Berniens hastened to do what he'd asked of them. Soon enough, Tara and Zard One were both filed down, and they followed Kleit through the Portal.

"_We're ready for the next group,"_ A voice crackled in Hermione's ear. She relayed the information to Sirius.

"**Opherxies One and Tralla One, you're next. Follow Prolium Ventrius through."** And so it went, with Coreil One and Darben One following Opherxies and Tralla, Ethillia One and Frigia One following them, and Yukaru and Bindi One following them. Sirius himself lead the last group through the Portal.

* * *

Once on the other side, Yukaru One was immediately taken by 'jumper to the Eastern Pier, where the whole of the Bernien forces would be spending the night and training with the Brotherworld forces. Sirius stayed with Bindi One until they were lead onto a 'jumper and flown to their temporary quarters. Sirius had everyone group up into fives for the rather large apartments on the Pier so they wouldn't take up so much room. Carter had assigned an Atlantis soldier to lead the groups of five to their quarters and then through the halls of the Pier until they reached the training room.

Sirius had arrived at the training room a bit early, as had Harry. Together with the help of some other early Berniens, the wizards managed to expand the room to be three times as big as it originally was. Sirius also helped Harry conjure fifty more dummies and other obstacles like trees, walls, rocks, and hills. Sirius stood back and admired their handiwork. "Now that's a training room," he said, smiling at his godson.

Harry nodded, grinning broadly. "Wish I had this for the Aurors back home. Hell, I wish I had this for my personal training back home." He looked at Sirius. "Speaking of which, I promised the Terrans earlier that I'd show them what I could do with a wand. Mind if I see how good Lorenian battle training is?"

Sirius smirked. "You won't stand a chance, Potter. 'Specially not if I can knock off your glasses." He motioned to the pair his godson was wearing. "If you're anything like James, you're as blind as a bat without them."

"Just try and see what happens." Harry said, smiling. He'd thought of that when he became a Bernien, so he'd gotten a few… _enhancements_… put into them. One of those enhancements was a strong repelling charm for anyone who tried to take his glasses off during a battle. It'd come in handy more than once during the Restoration.

By that time, everyone was gathered in the room. The Terrans were looking around in awe. Just this morning, the room had been much smaller and much less occupied. The Berniens eyed the Terrans warily, not quite sure what to make of their outlandish outfits and mannerisms.

Jack came up to the stage, which was now in the centre of the room instead of in the back. It was also lifted high enough that he could see the entire room from any position on the stage. Sirius and Harry followed him. "Okay, campers, let's get started." He shouted over the noise, and the Terrans grew quiet. The Berniens weren't far behind. "I'm General Jack O'Neill (two L's) of the United States Air Force. I, along with my comrades here," He motioned to the Terrans, "am from Earth."

This caused a stir amongst the Berniens. They were now staring at the Terrans with wide eyes, glancing between them and Sirius. Sirius nodded to show that, yes, what Jack said was true. He decided it was his turn to take over. **"As rumors have spread,"** He had cast the Sonorus charm on himself, "**I am sure by now you would all like to know the truth. Why are we here? What are we doing? Who are these people, living in the Ancestral City? I will – briefly – try to explain. I was born Sirius Black, on Earth."** Sirius fought to keep his face straight when the others were utterly shocked by the information. **"Some of you have probably deduced that, because I've lived on Lorena for the last thirteen years, I am both Brotherworlder and Lorenian. This is true - just as it's true that I'm the prophesized Protector of Lorena. We are here to End the Battles of Old once and for all, one way or another. **

"**My godson from Earth,"** he motioned to Harry, **"Will be helping us train the Brotherworlders to fight against magic users. None of them have ever experienced magic before today. We need to get them ready, just in case they come across War Mages in the battle tomorrow night."**

The room was silent. No one was quite sure what to ask first. For the Lorenians, they were questioning why the Brotherworlders had never experienced magic before today – besides Certus's godson. For the Terrans, they were wondering what in Hell this 'Sirius Black' guy was talking about. He'd lost them at 'I was born… on Earth'.

"**Right now, my godson and I will show the Brotherworlders what is possible when two Wizards of Mage caliber cross paths."** Sirius said, and cancelled the Sonorus. He turned to Harry. "Help me expand the stage. We'll put shields up around it so they can view us without getting hurt."

Harry nodded. "Right. Wish Hermione were here. She's got a wicked Expanding charm." He and Sirius got to work, making the stage wide enough that everyone could get on it and see what was going on with no problems. That left about three quarters of the room for Harry and Sirius's demonstration.

"**Everyone up onto the stage," **Sirius commanded after the two had left, and he and Harry stepped down. He cancelled the charm, figuring he could talk loud enough for everyone to hear. He cast shield wards around the stage that he remembered using during his Auror days before Azkaban. The wards prevented anyone from getting hurt, but still let everyone watch what was going on. "Now, we'll do our demonstration. I think we'll limit this to fifteen minutes, so we don't waste too much time with it. Agreed?" He asked Harry, who nodded. "Right." He jogged to the other side of the room from Harry and looked up at Marcus.

"Wands at the ready," Marcus said, using the traditional approach. "May the best Wizard win." And the duel was on.

"_Expelliarmus,"_ Harry shouted at the same time Sirius said,"_Protego_." The shield went up right before Harry's spell hit its target. Sirius was pleased – Harry was much faster than he'd been. But he was still using his signature move. A mistake on his part, especially against someone who knew him as well as Sirius did.

They circled each other, each giving their opponent wide berth. Neither took their eyes off of the other. Suddenly Sirius smiled. "Who taught you to move so fast, Harry?"

Harry smirked. The oldest game in the book – try to distract your opponent. What Sirius didn't know was that Harry was, most definitely a master at that tactic. "Nice try, Sirius." He said. He discreetly pointed his wand ever so slightly in Sirius's direction, but the older wizard noticed the move before Harry could even blink. Thankfully Harry was watching Sirius like a hawk, or he'd have missed the blur his godfather's arm became as it moved. He dodged the Tickling curse Sirius had used just in time, rolling onto his back and casting _"Reducto!"_

Sirius erected another shield wordlessly before the spell hit. It bounced off the shield and flew into a nearby tree, which promptly exploded on impact. He and Harry dodged falling debris from the tree. "You'll have to do better than that, Harry. Come on, man, have they gone soft at the Auror office since my day?" He laughed at his own joke, giving Harry a window of opportunity. He ran to the other side of the stage and crouched behind it. By the time Sirius had stopped laughing, Harry was long gone. "Running, eh? What kind of Gryffindor are you?" He jabbed, trying to pull Harry from his hiding spot.

As Sirius started circling around the stage, Harry stepped about to face his godfather's back. Pointing his wand, Harry whispered, _"Expelliarmus._" Sirius, yet again, managed to dodge the spell and cast a curse of his own. _"Protego,"_ Harry said loudly, erecting his shield before the spell hit. "_Locomotor Motis,"_ Harry thought, pointing his wand directly at Sirius's legs. The spell hit before Sirius knew it was coming, and he fell upon his back.

Sirius was shocked Harry had gotten a spell in on him. In his 13 years as a Bernien, no one had yet managed that feat. Glancing briefly up at his soldiers, he saw that while some were staring wide mouthed, others were laughing, and still more were watching Harry with newfound respect. Good. That was what this was for, after all. He wrapped himself around and thought, _"Rictumsempra_," pointing his wand at his godson. Harry started laughing as soon as the spell hit his stomach. _"Expelliarmus,"_ Sirius said aloud, casting the spell quickly. Harry, unable to pay attention to Sirius's motions thanks to the Tickling jinx, lost his wand. Picking up Harry's wand – the same one he had when he was a student, Sirius noted mildly – Sirius cancelled the jinx and helped Harry to his feet. He handed his godson back his wand before turning to the stage.

Then, in the next second, Sirius felt the effects of the full body bind curse take over his body. His hands snapped into place and he fell to the floor. Harry stood over him, grinning. "That wasn't illegal. Duels are called to a finish by the referee, which obviously was Ventrius, since you had him call the start. Marcus never said the duel was over." Harry looked up to Marcus. "So we're done now, right? Sirius is neutralized – he couldn't do anything even if he wanted to."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius watched Marcus and most of his Berniens nodding in agreement. "He's right, Certus. Now the duel is finished. Potter's won."

Harry cancelled the curse and lifted his godfather to his feet. "Don't take it too hard. Least you lost against the Head Auror and not one of my trainees."

"That was a fluke and you know it, Potter. After all this is over, we're getting a rematch." Sirius declared. "Now to business." He turned back to the waiting soldiers. "I think we'll start by putting the Berniens through their paces, so the Brotherworlders can see how it's done. Tara One, over here…"

**A/N: Just one (or two) more chapters to go, and we're through. This one's been the longest chapter yet at over 5,300 words. Did you enjoy it?**


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